


Now and Then

by MarshalZhukov



Series: Now and Then [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adults being adults, Author Appeal, BAMF Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Multi, OC goodness, Slow Burn, Slytherin is the Best House! Fight Me!, Strong Language, The Author Regrets Nothing, Trans Female Character, Written as FU To Rowling, persons of colour, transition issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28419198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshalZhukov/pseuds/MarshalZhukov
Summary: A Muggleborn Witch finds herself in a world she never knew existed and could not prepare for. She must navigate a new culture, her own gender and trust issues.Or Something...
Series: Now and Then [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081466
Comments: 15
Kudos: 17





	1. The First Night

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this in a huge fit of pique the more I read about Rowling's TERF-y shite. There are more notes at the end, but there you go.  
> Expect more - lots more. I have the first Four Years plotted out, with plans to run all Seven Years, though it may take some time. Please be patient with me.

Greetings from the People's Storybook Archive and Collective. The Chairman has directed the People's Commissariat of Storytelling and Entertainment to produce an entertaining story taking place in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  
This, however, is not that story. Those responsible have been summarily sacked, arrested and sentenced to the GULag.  
What follows is the story of a young Slytherin witch as she tries to work out who she is, where she belongs and who she can trust.  
or something.

* * *

_Hmm, yes. I see a great deal of determination here. And no small amount of cunning and ambition. Slytherin would be a great House to put you. Ah, but I see bravery as well; much bravery. I can imagine you would need it to be yourself, young Jennifer._

The eleven-year-old squirmed on the stool during the Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat had been lowered onto her head and covered her eyes. It startled her when the Voice sounded in her head. Called her Jennifer. Even she had not dared to tell _anyone_ the name she had chosen for herself. Only a few of her closest gaming friends even knew she was trans.

_Your mind is open to me, Jennifer. I can see who you are, deep inside. Perhaps Gryffindor would not be a bad place for you, either. Gryffindor has been home to many brave Muggle-born witches. You could be great indeed there. Oh, what's this? A researcher. Maybe Ravenclaw? Hmmm. It has been a long time since a young mind has stumped me so…_

To the gathered students and teachers, the Sorting seemed to stretch for quite some time. Even Headmistress McGonagall noted the unusually long Sorting as she checked her watch.

  
_Ah, and a great deal of stubborn determination. Hufflepuff would welcome you with open arms. But, worry not. I will place you where you will be safe and can open your heart to those who will accept you. There you will find the knowledge and strength you seek to overcome your doubts and fears. Yes, there's no more doubt about it! It had better be –_

  
"Slytherin!" the Hat called out to the Great Hall. The cheers rose in unison from the table furthest to her right. As she slid off the stool, her uniform tie and school crest on her cardigan magically shifted to the silver and emerald of her new House. She smiled shyly and went to join her new housemates. An older girl stood up, smiled and offered her hand.

  
"I'm Delia Prince-Esper, Fifth Year and Prefect," she said as she shook Jenny's hand. "Welcome to Slytherin, Jeremy."

Jenny winced slightly at the name. Delia quirked an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing as she led Jenny to the empty section of bench occupied by the newly sorted First Years where she shook hands with another Firstie, who introduced herself as Beth.

Jenny lost track of time as the Sorting inevitably wound down. As the last name was called, a note found its way to her spot at the table. She looked at it quizzically. Passing notes was a thing in the Wizarding World, too? It was the sort of business that usually got a talking to from the teacher if it happened in class. She shrugged her shoulders, picked up the note, and slipped it into the breast pocket of her uniform shirt.

The final First Year, some girl with bushy reddish-brown hair named Weasley sorted into Gryffindor, joined her House table. The Headmistress stood up and approached the lectern. She looked exactly as Jenny imagined a boarding school matron would look. Grey hair pulled back in a severe bun, reading glasses perched 'oh, just so' on her nose. Stern demeanour. Even her outfit screamed 'Scottish Headmistress'!  
She cleared her throat.

"Welcome to another year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

_Scottishness confirmed. Plus one percent to Perception._

"I am Headmistress McGonagall and I wish to congratulate all of you on your acceptance here today. To the newest students, I bid you a happy welcome and to all the returning students, it is wonderful to see so many familiar faces. I won't keep you from the Great Feast for too long, but I do have a few start-of-term notices.

"The Forbidden Forest is, I hope it goes without saying, er … _forbidden_ … to any student unaccompanied by a teacher or other Hogwarts staff.

"Our caretaker, Argus Filch, has posted his yearly reminder of items that are NOT allowed on school grounds on his office door.

"Quidditch trials are open to any and all students Second year and up…"  
Jenny had no idea what Quidditch was, other than doping out it must be a wizarding sport of some kind.

"And, lastly, my office hours will be posted by my door. If you have any questions or concerns, I will be happy to make an appointment for you. And now, without any further delay, Welcome! I wish you the greatest success in the coming year. Let the feast begin!"

McGonagall clapped her hands twice and the most sumptuous supper Jenny had ever seen magically appeared before her. Living as she did on her father's take home from the army and what her mother earned working as a local solicitor, she was certainly never hungry, but the amount of food before her is what she could only imagine some high ranked peer or the Queen herself ate. She availed herself of a small helping of mashed potatoes, a few slices of the ham with cranberry sauce, and a fresh, hot scone. She searched the jugs for water but found only something called pumpkin juice.

_Bleah. Sounds like something for the Christmas holidays._

"Is there any water?" she asked no one particular, hoping that someone would help her. As she finished her question, suddenly, the goblet in front of her was filled to the brim with cool ice-filled water.

 _Wow! I could really get used to this magic business!_ She smiled broadly as she ate a second helping of potatoes.

The rest of the meal passed and Jenny was pleasantly full. Her new housemate, Beth, turned to her.  
"I heard you're Muggle-born?" Her accent reminded Jenny of a posh Londoner.

Jenny cocked her head slightly? "What does that mean?"

Beth smiled "Sorry, it means your parents are not from the wizarding world."

Jenny blushed. "Yeah. My dad's a section leader in Seventh Armoured Brigade and mum's a solicitor. We're all from Liverpool. Come on, you Reds."

It was now Beth's turn to look confused. Jenny giggled slightly. "Sorry, I'm talking about football. Liverpool FC."

"Ah," Beth said. "The Muggle sport where you kick a ball over a pitch, right? Or is that the one with sticks?"

"You got it on the first. Football. The one with sticks is hockey, I think. I know they play it in Canada."

Beth continued to smile, then she set her mouth in a straight line and leaned in very close to Jenny's ear. "Did you know you giggle like a girl?"

Jenny choked on the water she had been sipping. She completely forgot to marvel at how her cup never seemed to empty, despite how much she drank from it.

"Oh, uh…" she stammered, her normally pale face a furious red. "I didn't…I didn't realise…"

Beth shrugged. "Meh, it's no biggie. My older brother used to do that before she became my older sister."

Jenny's jaw dropped. She knew for a fact that trans people existed all over the world. She had been corresponding with several online shortly after her egg cracked*. But to be in direct, personal contact with someone firsthand was a whole order of unexpected.

Beth smiled. "Yeah, that's her," she pointed at Delia. "She was super nervous and scared when she came out last year. Thought mum and dad were going to kick her out of the family, but we all gathered in the parlour and had a big hug and cry. Mum made sure to update the family mural when Delia settled on her new name."

"Are you sure it's okay to just out someone like that?" Jenny hissed. She was torn between fear, awe and a bit of anger. All her online acquaintances had schooled her in the etiquette of who, how and when to come out to others and that no one, ever, had the right to out someone else without permission. "It could be dangerous."

Beth p-shawed. "Delia told me to be on the lookout for other trans people. Said it was alright. Besides, the whole school already knows. It's not a secret."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I just noticed that you giggled like a girl and wondered if you knew. That's all."

Jenny was gob-smacked. Right next to her, sat at that very table was a potential ally, a person she could trust. She decided right then and there to take a chance. If it didn't work out, she could always go home. Maybe find another school.

"I think…" she halted. Beth looked at her, all smiles and warmth. "I think I'm a…a girl…too…"

It was out there now. The Universe could make sport of her all it wanted now. Instead, Beth hugged her and said, "I saw Delia pass a note to you. You should read it."

The Welcome Feast wound down and the gathered students were filling up and starting to get drowsy. At this point, the Headmistress stood back up to the lectern.

"Before I send you off to your Houses, a few last words for the night. Your class schedules will be handed out and your Professors introduced at breakfast tomorrow. Classes begin the following day. Please be aware we expect prompt attendance at _every_ class." At this, McGonagall looked over her readers at the students. "Please use the time tomorrow to familiarise yourself with the castle and ask your upperclassmen for any help you may need. Thank you and have a pleasant evening."

The assembled body stood up and began filing out of the Great Hall. Each House Prefect gathered the First Years to themselves as the older students filtered past, being familiar enough to find their way to their respective Common Rooms. Delia and a dark-skinned boy called all the Slytherin First Years to themselves as they gathered at the head of a massive staircase.

"Hello, everyone," the boy said once all the Firsties were gathered. "I'm Jason Zabini and this is my fellow Prefect, Delia Prince-Esper. We're now going to take you down to the Dungeons. Please make sure you remember the way. It's not difficult to find, but if you think you might get lost, please let one of us know. Right then, this way."

As promised, the way was not difficult, at least not for Jenny. Her father had taken her camping on several occasions to the West Country and north to Scotland. He taught her how to use landmarks to guide her back to camp, so she made note of prominent features on the route down. The number of staircases, a particularly scary-looking gargoyle, one left, two rights and another left. Easy-peasy.

"Okay," Delia said with a big smile. "Here we are. The Slytherin dungeons. The password this year is 'Slughorn'."

A couple of giggles, but the door opened just the same. "Remember. No one outside of Slytherin is to know this password."

The Firsties all nodded.

Delia smiled. "Right, in you go. Find a comfy place to sit and Jason and I will give you the rundown."  
Jenny appropriated a small cushion and posted up on the floor at the arm of one of the massive sofas. She was not surprised in the least to find that all the furniture was upholstered in green velvet with silvery stitching. The ambient lighting was a comforting and cool white and had the effect of turning any shadow greenish.

A young pale boy with spiky yellow hair sat next to Jenny. "Hey. I'm Paul Bettany. This place is a trip, huh?"

Jenny nodded. She held her hand out. "Jen – Jerry!" She hastily corrected. "Jerry Montgomery." Paul either misheard, didn't hear, or chose to shrug it off because he smiled and nodded.

"Like the Field Marshall?"

"Yeah, like the Field Marshall. My dad says he's a third or fourth uncle. I don't really know."

"Well, that's neat. I don't have any famous relatives…at least, I don't think I do. My dad died when I was young and mum keeps shtum about it."

Jenny actually looked sad at that. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Do you miss him?"

"Nah, man was a first-class prat. He was always piss drunk. Could never keep two bob in his pocket. Good riddance, I say."

"Oh," Jenny blushed. "Sorry to bring up…"

Paul waved her off. "Don't sweat it, mate. 'E's gone, I'm here and so much the better." He fell silent for a bit. "Yer from the Midlands, right. Your accent sounds from there."

"Close," Jenny said, smiling. "Merseyside. Liverpool specifically."

"Dog's bollocks!" Paul laughed. "I'm from Leeds. We can hate on Man U together!"

"Alright, mate," Jenny shook his hand again then turned her attention back to the Prefects as they gained the class' attention.

"Okay," Jason said, looking over the eager faces. "Welcome to Slytherin House. I'm sure you've all heard by now that we have a reputation for producing Dark Wizards and Witches. I won't lie, we have. Including the most notorious of the lot, Voldemort."

No one budged or even reacted. Jason took this as a good sign. "Now, while this is true, Slytherin House does not _make_ Dark wizards and witches. That darkness is already in them when they get here. Please remember that. You are not automatically going to become a Dark wizard or witch, and Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw are just as likely to turn one out as we are. So do not let anyone try to convince you that the House of the Serpent will _turn_ you Dark, okay?"

The kids all nodded. Some looked scared, others didn't know what to think.

Delia smiled at them and continued. "Our Head of House is Professor Slughorn as well as being the Potions Master. You will all meet him in due course. Our dorms are divided by year, with boys on the right," she pointed at the hallway. "And girls on the left. Now, I understand there are a few Muggleborns here, so after our introductions are done, we would like to speak to you."

"In the spirit of inter-House camaraderie, please do go out and try to make friends with the other Houses. But," Jason warned. "What happens in Slytherin stays in Slytherin. If you have an issue with one of your housemates, it does _not_ leave the Dungeons. Is that understood?"

All the students nodded.

"We like to present a unified face to the rest of the school. Work together and be friendly, but remember, you are Slytherins first, Hogwarts second."

"Any questions?" Delia asked. Seeing none, but also noticing more than a few concerned looks, she smiled.

"Alright. First-Year dorms are furthest back down your respective hallways. Go find a comfy bed and claim it. Lights out is two hours from now, so get settled first, _then_ you can monkey around."

The crowd broke up and sorted themselves by boys and girls. Soon, it was Jenny, Paul and another kid Jenny did not know.

"Um," the kid looked lost. "I don't know where I'm supposed to go."

Delia looked over, then knelt down to look the kid in the eye. It struck Jenny just then how tall Delia was and how short the other kid was.

"Are you a boy?"

"no…"

"Are you a girl?"

A shake of the head.

Delia hmmed to herself. "Do you feel like both? Neither?"

"Yes…"

Paul started to snicker. "How can you be both?"

Delia looked up at him and shook her head. The stern look gave Paul pause and the snickering died off. Satisfied, Delia looked back at the kid. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Kell."

"Hello, Kell. Did you want to try one of the dorms?"

"Okay." Kell wandered toward the girl's dorms. As they did, Paul spoke up.

"But he's a boy. He should be in the boy's dorm with Jerry and me."

Jenny felt her heart sink and Kell froze in place. Kell started to cry and Jenny wanted to hide.

Delia shot a glance at Jason who took Paul to another hallway. "We'll have the introductory talk in my dorm. Come on, Paul."

Paul shot a glance to Jenny, a silent 'What did I say?' as Jason gently herded the boy out of the Common Room. This left Jenny alone with Delia and a now sobbing Kell. Not knowing what to do, Jenny made her way to the Boy's Dorm wing, every step breaking her heart further. She felt like crying herself, but valiantly kept all but a single tear from leaking out. After all, the world expected her to be a boy, and boys don't cry.

She kept walking and walking. _Boy, this hallway is super long! How far back is it?!_ She looked up at the door next to her, noted the sign 'Year Seven' then kept walking, her legs growing tired. After a few more minutes of walking, she glanced back over. 'Year Seven!' She hadn't moved an inch! She turned around and noticed she was stood right at the entrance to the dorm wing. She hadn't gone anywhere.

Jenny stepped back out into the Common Room. She saw Delia exit yet another hallway alone. Since Kell wasn't there, Jenny assumed that's where Kell went.

"I think…" Jenny started. "Are you having me on?"

Delia looked at her. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Every room is the same number and when I looked around, I was still at the entrance. Is this a prank? Some kind of moving floor prank?"

"That's not the sort of prank Slytherin House pulls, Jerry," Jason said, as he and Paul also returned to the Common Room. "How far down did you get?"

Paul nodded at Jenny as he walked past. She turned to watch him as he seemed to reach the First Year Dorms and enter without any problem. "What the hell was that, then?!" Jenny pointed angrily. She rounded back on Delia and Jason. "You _are_ taking the piss! Making fun of the soldier's daughter!" the word was out before she could stop it. She could feel the blood rushing out of her face, her heart rate sped up and her knees go weak.

She fell into a couch, her breathing fast and shallow. Delia was at her side instantly.

Jenny barely registered the arms holding her, comforting her. The soft, soothing whisper in her ear telling her everything was alright.

After several minutes, Jenny found her voice. Her breathing and heart-rate slowed. She was now painfully aware of what she had said and to whom.

"Did you want to try again?" Jason suggested.

Jenny stood up, somewhat unsteady on her feet, and made her way back to the Boy's Dorm hallway. She crossed the threshold and started walking.

From where Jason and Delia stood, it looked as though Jenny were simply walking in place, as one would on a treadmill.

"Oh," Delia said. "I think I get it."

Jenny turned and, once again, she had not made any progress down the hall. Now she started to cry.

Jason took her by the hand and led her to the entrance to the Girl's Dorm. He glanced back at Delia, as if for permission, and gently nudged Jenny down the hall. He watched her make her way right back to the First Year Dorms. She stopped, turned and, seeing her progress, fell to her knees and wept into her hands. Delia rocketed past Jason and took Jenny's hands.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you into a guest bed for now. We'll need to talk to the Headmistress and, possibly, Madam Pomfrey in the morning."

Jenny said nothing as she allowed Delia to lead her into the hallway she presumed Kell went down. They entered a room and there, as expected, Kell was happily, though somewhat sheepishly, putting their things into a small bureau of drawers. Jenny fell into the first bed by the door and noticed that, somehow, her ruck and duffel were right at the foot. The events of the day finally caught up to her exhausted eleven-year-old body and she fell asleep right then, fully dressed.

* * *

*egg – a term for a trans person who is aware they are not their gender at birth or are questioning their gender. Cracking egg refers to a trans person just coming out to themselves and realising they are trans. Hatching means you've come out to others.

Alright, so some things to know. I am American, not British. I've tried to make this as accurate as possible, but research can only do so much. If I've messed up somewhere, please do let me know.

Yes, I am a trans woman, and, while I never went to a boarding school, I did serve in the US Armed Forces and thus am familiar with racking with others. I hatched in a similar way as our protagonist, by blurting it out in a fit of pique. (not while in uniform, I am glad to say...)

I was Sorted Slytherin on Pottermore, too, before all of Rowling's TERF nonsense put me off the Wizarding World for a while…

Also, I never really liked the idea of sliding stair booby traps and klaxons going off if someone goes where they're not welcome. Slytherin – personal headcanon – is much more subtle than that. I fell on the idea of the "treadmill hallway" while doing an indoor session on my bike. I was pedaling to beat the band but wasn't actually going anywhere.

And, while we're at it, why is it only the girl's dorms that keep boys out? Shouldn't girls not be allowed in the boy's dorms, too? Think about it.

Seriously, Rowling can go soak her head before running her mouth about how only boys are predators…


	2. I Am A Girl!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our newest Slytherin witch accepts she is a girl and now must get the help she needs to make that happen. But is it true what they say? Help is always given at Hogwarts for those who need it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is looking to be a once a month thing - at least for the time being. If I get a rush of inspiration, I can post sooner.

Jenny woke up stiff and somewhat sore. She had an awful taste in her mouth and remembered she did not bathe, brush her teeth, or use the toilet before passing out. Now her bladder made its presence known and she bolted upright and headed for the door. She was in the hallway from last night and was now desperately searching for a sign that read "toilet" "loo" "can" - anything!

A door glowed slightly just to her right and she made the crossing in two leaps. She slammed the door shut and plonked her bare bum right down.

Refreshingly empty, her faculties returned and she now started to panic. She had run into the first toilet she saw without thinking. _What if this is the_ girl' _s toilet?! Oh, no! I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble!_ She flushed and took a look around. It was a single occupancy, similar to the one in the pub down the lane from her house that Dad took her to every week to watch the match. _Well, at least there won't be any other people in here._ Jenny thought as she pulled her trousers up and walked over to wash her hands.

She stood at the door, her hand shaking, afraid to turn the handle. She slowly opened it up and peeked out through the crack. To her surprise, Kell stood just outside.

"You done, then?" they smiled. Jenny squeaked and slammed the door shut. Kell pounded on the door. "Oi! Come on! I have to take a wazz! Hurry it up, will ya!"

Jenny opened the door again. "Sorry, I panicked."

Kell smiled again. "Don't worry, I probably would too." They slipped past Jenny and closed the door behind them. Jenny was now alone in the hall. She crossed back over to what she called the Misfit Room. She giggled and congratulated herself on her eleven-year-old cleverness then approached her erstwhile bed.

The pet carrier with her new familiar, a lovely tabby striped short-hair cat she had named 'Neko' sat in the corner by her bed. Despite appearing to have been locked in all night, Neko merely meowed pleasantly as Jenny opened the door and let the cat out to wander. Neko jumped up on the bed and as if by magic, a bowl of kibble and another of water appeared in the corner by the door.

"Ooh, I don't have a litter pan, puss." And, like the food, a covered litter box appeared in the far corner, furthest from the beds. "I like this magic business." Neko rolled on to her side and proceeded to clean her forepaws, purring loudly. Jenny smiled, gently scratched the top of Neko's head, and turned her attention to her kit.

Her duffel lay where she found it last night. It was a sort of gift from her father. Jenny knew it was his old deployment bag that he had repaired some years back and then given to Jenny when the MoD issued him a new one. The heavy, olive drab canvas sack held just about every stitch of clothing she owned, all of it boy's things. Her last name had been stenciled on the side in proper Army fashion.

The same with her ruck. This was his field deployment pack and coloured in the earlier camouflage pattern dad called "DPM" before the switch to the new multi-terrain pattern that matched his new combat fatigues. Jenny never liked the look of camouflage but _did_ think her father's red jacket dress uniform looked very snappy with its gold buttons and white sergeant's chevrons. Putting that memory aside, she dug into her ruck and pulled out a few things she was going to need right away. The ruck was still perfectly serviceable and allowed her to pack a few more things that wouldn't fit in the duffel. She turned on her mobile and frowned to see no reception. _Bollocks! How the hell am I going to know the score this week?_ She switched it off and put it in a side pouch. No reception meant no reason to keep it on. She doubted there was even a place to charge it up.

Next came Monty, her plush kangaroo. It looked close enough to the image on Dad's shoulder flash that she took an instant liking to it, despite knowing the creature was _supposed_ to be a jeroba, not an actual kangaroo. Whatever! Monty was cute and it was the only cute thing she openly possessed. In an odd twist, mum had bought it, but dad was the one that came up with the name. 'Monty, he said, 'was the nickname the troops in the desert gave to Montgomery when he took command against Rommel.' The name stuck and the 'roo was Monty every since.

She then dug out a couple of five-subject spiral-bound notebooks that her mother purchased to take notes with. Next, a pink Hello Kitty pencil box. Her parents did _not_ know she had it and would probably frown on the idea of her having it. She checked the pencils, pens and made doubly sure she had plenty of leads for the pencils and a couple of rubbers.

Next came the prize bit of kit. Her Liverpool FC scarf. She placed Monty on the bedside table and wrapped him in her scarf.

Near the bottom, after she had pushed aside a few extra pairs of undies and socks, she grabbed her school shoulder bag. A secret coming-out gift from one of her gamer pals, it featured an image of Twilight Sparkle reading a book with the caption "READ" underneath. Another bit of femininity that her parents were likely to frown upon.

Her mp3 player with earbuds and a couple of books on dinosaurs completed her relocation. Jenny then looked around the room she shared with Kell. On one wall stood four bookshelves, two of which were full of school texts. She noticed that her books looked a bit shabbier compared to those she assumed belonged to Kell, but they were inexpensive and got the job done. Her mum had told her, "If you can still use it, it's still good."

Now, Jenny wanted to get clean. She went back into the hall and looked about again. This time, another door glowed faintly. She wandered over and, yep, a large bathtub with standing shower-head.

"I could _really_ get used to this magic business," she hummed. She went back into her room, grabbed a set of clean undies, uniform and socks. She sighed unhappily. Boy's clothes. All of it. She set off back to the washroom, closed the door and bolted it. It was bad enough _she_ had to deal with her shame. She would be damned if anyone else had to see it also.

It took more than a few minutes to work out which knob did what, but eventually she got the water to a just-hot-enough-to-be-pleasant temperature, lathered up and scrubbed as much of her as was comfortable before attacking the bits she hated. It hurt. A lot. She whimpered, but her body had to be _punished_ for its betrayal.

She dried off and dressed for the day. Opening the door, this time it was Delia waiting for her.

"Hello, Miss Prince-Esper." That name did not exactly roll off the tongue, but her father had instilled proper British manners and she would abide that until she was out in the world.

"Hello, Miss Montgomery." Jenny's heart practically melted. She had wanted, silently begged, for that acknowledgment, and now she had it. She smiled back.

"After breakfast, I'm going to take you and Kell to see the Headmistress," Delia said. "And then, if you feel up to it, to see Madam Pomfrey. She can help you with your transition."

"Is there some magic spell that can help me?"

"Nothing that's permanent, I'm afraid, but there are potions and charms that will cause you to grow up like a girl, if that's what you need."

"I _do_ need," Jenny practically begged. "But, don't you need my parents' consent? It's the law in Great Britain…"

"I forgot about that." Delia looked sad. "I'm afraid you do need consent to start the potions. That means you will need to ask them."

Jenny blanched. She had hoped – against hope, it seemed – that there was a simple magic spell, something she could apply at will and then send away without her parents having to know about it.

"I take it you're not out to your family?" Delia asked. Jenny shook her head slowly. "If you like, I have some books that helped me come out to mine if you want to read them."

"I talked to some friends in game chat about it and they gave me lots of advice, but I'll take all the help I can get."

It took Delia a moment to figure out what Jenny had said. Despite growing up in a long-standing Wizarding family, they were not complete Luddites and had dabbled in Muggle technology, including the Internet. She didn't play games but found the search engine function to be invaluable, especially with her own coming out.

"That's fine," she smiled. "You know you can talk to me anytime, right?"

Jenny smiled back. "Thank you, Miss Prince-Esper."

Delia laughed. "Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it? Tell you what. Prefect Delia has a nice ring to it. I'll let the rest of the House know before we head off to breakfast. Yeah. I like Prefect Delia."

"Um, Prefect Delia?" Jenny said, somewhat unsure of herself. "There's no reception on my mobile. How am I gonna know the score of this week's match? It's a big game against Wolverhampton. Also, is there any place I can charge it? And my music player too!"

Delia chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sorry to say that the wards around the school do not allow for mobile signal, so you're out of luck there. As for the game, I can try and get permission for the wireless. It's not the same as on the telly or live, but it's the next best thing. As for charging your devices, the Common Room has been wired up for power. There are power outlets at the work desks. Just make sure you reserve one in advance. I'll show everyone how to do that before lights out."

"Oh! Bollocks!" Jenny exclaimed. "I promised I would let my parents know I got here safely as soon as I got here!"

"I'll show you how we use owl post. Not as quick as texting, but it gets the job done. Now, put your tie on. It's almost time for breakfast."

000

House Slytherin, living up to its name, wound its serpentine way out of the dungeons and towards the Great Hall. Prefect Zabini checked his watch as the other Houses crowded into the Entrance Hall with them. At the appointed time, the doors swung inwards and the students made their way to their respective tables and took their seats. As promised, Delia and Jason sat among the First Years and taught those who didn't know how to use owl post.

"Just hold up your letter and a small snack – a rasher of bacon or a banger seem to be the favourites – and tell the owl where you want it to go," Jason held up a folded sheet of parchment as a demonstration. "Sometimes, there is fish and that really seems to make the owls happy."

"How will the owl know where it has to go?" Paul asked. He sat across the table from Jenny and gave her an odd look when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Magic," Jason chuckled with a knowing smile. "Even better than the Royal Mail."

"Don't let Her Majesty hear you say that," another student laughed, causing some of the other Firsties to laugh as well.

Jason laughed as well before checking his watch again. "Breakfast will be starting soon. The owl post shows up near the end. If you have any letters to write, get them done now."

Jenny plated a few eggs, a few strips of bacon, some cubed potatoes and a cup of hot tea. She wrote out a quick note letting her parents know everything was okay and that she needed to talk to them about something important. Too important to put in the mails. All the while, Paul kept giving her a look. Eventually, she couldn't take it and looked over at Paul.

"What's up?" she asked pleasantly. The boy was her House-mate for the next seven years, best not to make any enemies if it could be avoided.

"Just wonderin' where you were last night," Paul replied. He smirked, a look Jenny hoped was a friendly gesture. "I was hoping to get your opinion on the match against Wolverhampton y'all have coming up."

"Oh, that." Jenny had to think fast, a habit she was quickly developing in trying to avoid uncomfortable questions from her parents. "Troubles with my board and fare. I can't set up in the room until after I work things out with the Headmistress." Not exactly a lie. She did have to talk to McGonagall about why the Boy's Dorms wouldn't let her in.

"Cause yer Muggle-born and all, right?" Paul asked. The answer seemed to placate him. It was only a temporary fix, and, Jenny knew, she would have to explain soon why she was not sleeping in the Boy's Dorms.

"Something like that."

The shrug of the shoulders confirmed Paul bought it. "I had the same happen to me, but my mum got that sorted right quick. She works for the Council and so knows how red-tape works."

"Isn't government great?" Jenny giggled. Paul did notice that, but let it drop. "My mum is a solicitor, but wants to work as a barrister for the Crown, but the exam and placement process are miserable."

"Whew!" Paul whistled. "You are something else. Dad's a squaddie and mum's a solicitor. How did you end up here?"

"I have no idea." Jenny shrugged her shoulders. "Neither of my parents is magical and they can't think of anyone in their background who was. At first they thought one of my dad's Army pals was having us for a laugh when my Hogwarts letter came. Wondered how someone could train an owl to do that. It wasn't until a professor showed up and explained everything that they even figured out I was magic."

Paul shook his head. Beth, who by now joined them after talking to Delia, looked at Paul and asked, "How about you?"

"I don't know about my dad, but my mum is something she calls a 'Squib'." He shrugged his shoulders.

Beth chimed in at that. "That's a person born to a magical parent but can't use magic themselves. So, it must have skipped a generation and gone to you."

"Oh, that makes sense," Paul said. "Kinda like eye colour or height. Mum says my dad was short, too, but that _his_ dad and brother are real tall. They think I might grow up real tall, too."

Jenny shuddered at the thought of her impending puberty, the ravages of testosterone and matching her father's stature. Before the year was out, she promised herself. _I have to tell them and get them to believe me._

Soon enough, breakfast came to an end. As Jason promised, the owls swooped in. Jenny just got her letter up in time before a large grey and fawn-colored Barred owl landed in front of her. It looked expectantly at the rasher of bacon Jenny had saved for just this. She held up the bacon and the letter.

"Please deliver to Sergeant and Annagret Montgomery, XXXX Street, Liverpool. Do you know where that is?"

The owl seemed to give Jenny an 'are you really asking me that?' look, took the letter in its beak and the bacon in one talon before taking flight once more. _I hope this works._

Headmistress McGonagall stood at the lectern and clapped her hands twice. The breakfast trimmings disappeared and everyone turned to face the Teacher's Table.

She let the briefest of smiles flicker on her lips before she spoke. "Good morning, students. Today is your first day of the new term, so I shall now introduce your teachers and then turn you loose for the rest of the day. Rubeus Hagrid, The Groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures instructor."

The mountain of beard and curls that had led Jenny and the other First Years in the boats across the lake rose, smiled and waved.

"Professor Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House." A portly gentleman of advancing years slowly and with some small difficulty rose to his feet. He smiled and nodded before slumping somewhat un-graciously back into his chair.

"Professor Harley Potter, starting her first term as Charms instructor and Head of Gryffindor House." A lovely young woman with thick auburn hair and round wire-rimmed glasses stood up and waved. A murmur went up as several students whispered. Jenny wished she had hair like that. She also noticed that McGonagall smiled a bit at the name.

"Professor Pomona Sprout, Herbology and Head of Hufflepuff House." A portly and somewhat disheveled looking woman with a very kind face stood and waved, and blew a kiss at the Hufflepuff table. This earned a small cough for the Headmistress who cocked an eyebrow. Professor Sprout simply smiled and resumed her seat.

"Madam Hooch, flying instructor." A severe looking woman with close-cropped silver hair and the look of a predator about her stood, nodded and sat right back down.

"Professor Padma Patel, Arithmancy and Head of Ravenclaw House." A beautiful South Asian woman, slender and clad in a blue sari with silver trim and with a cobalt blue bindi on her forehead stood, bowed slightly and waved at her Ravenclaw students.

"Professor Parvati Patel, Divination." A woman who looked exactly like the other Professor Patel, dressed similarly but in red with gold trim and red bindi stood, bowed and then sat down.

"Professor Cuthbert Binns, who would join us, but seems to have suffered a slight case of death, is your Professor of Magical History." A small round of chuckles went up around the room as those who knew about Binns shared in the joke. This even got the Headmistress to chuckle slightly. She cleared her throat once more and silenced the room.

"Madam Pomfrey, the Matron of our Infirmary, Mediwitch and Order of Merlin, second class." A motherly-looking woman with a time-worn face and glittering eyes stood, smiled and waved.

"Irma Pince, Head of Hogwarts Library." Jenny shuddered a bit. She looked exactly like the librarian at her last, Muggle, school. Stern, hard eyes and take-no-prisoners air about her. And just like her Muggle librarian, Jenny would absolutely respect the rules of the library.

"And our Caretaker, Argus Filch." McGonagall pointed toward the doors to the Hall. Jenny grimaced. He looked like the sort of character who owned a run-down castle, would marry a bunch of plump women, have a hundred kids and then kill an entire wedding party for breaking a promise. He probably also had a massive shed full of illegal firearms– maybe even an anti-ship mine!

As the students settled back down, The Headmistress actually did smile. "And, that my dear students, is that. Your Heads of House will be along shortly to hand out your term schedules then you are free for the rest of the day. Thank you."

A collective 'Thank you, Headmistress' rose from the gathered student body as McGonagall sat back down. The Heads of House all thanked McGonagall then stood and made their way toward their House tables. It took quite a while for Slughorn to make his way down toward the First Years as he had, it seemed to Jenny, a slightly annoying habit of continually stopping to chat with quite a few older students, shaking hands, slapping backs and generally enjoying himself. By the time he reached the Firsties, the other Houses had long got their schedules and were out enjoying a lovely, late summer day. She inhaled deeply. _It can't be helped._ She repeated it like a mantra until Slughorn finally got round.

"Hello, my newest Slytherins! Let's all work together and we shall do wonders! Yes, yes! I hope to see many, many of you do well in Potions! Yes! And here are your schedules for the term!" He handed each one out in turn. Finally wrapping up, Jenny got the impression that he would either make a parody character in a Rowan Atkinson comedy or an affable, yet murderous country cop. In all, he reminded her of a fat, yet kindly uncle who usually imbibed the drink more than was healthy, but otherwise enjoyed life.

Once all was said and done, the sun was well past morning and the Slytherins all wanted to get out and stretch their legs. Jenny would very much like to have joined the rest of her class, but she and Kell both had an appointment with the Headmistress.

Jenny's hands shook as she, Delia and Kell walked up the stone steps and made their way to the Headmistress's office. Stood before a great stone gargoyle in an alcove, Delia cleared her throat. "Prefect Delia Prince-Esper with Kell Carmichael and," she stopped, looked at Jenny and whispered an apology. "Jeremy Montgomery."

The gargoyle actually moved! It looked at each in turn then nodded. It then stepped aside as a spiral staircase revealed itself behind a wall that was behind the gargoyle. It was all too much for Jenny to take in.

Several turns up the spiral saw the three of them before an oak-plank door. Delia knocked twice and waited.

"Enter."

The door opened and they all walked in. The room was clean, but sparse. A side table with a few books, tartan plaid everywhere – curtains, table runners, upholstery. On the wall above the Headmistress' desk hung a basket-hilt sword of the kind the Scottish Regiments wore on parade.

"Miss Prince-Esper. Welcome. Are these the children you wished to speak to me about?"

"Yes, Headmistress." Delia then knelt and looked each in the eye. "You can trust Headmistress McGonagall. She helped me in my transition and she can help you as well."

Jenny, still not sure what to do, simply held back for a bit while Kell spoke first. "Headmistress," they began. "My parents named me Kellen and know I'm not a boy or a girl either. I'm somewhere in between…I think. I just know I'm not a boy and not really a girl."

"Why don't the three of you have a seat. Would anyone like some tea or a biscuit?" She proffered a tartan-print tin full of what smelled like ginger snaps. With a flick of her wand, three chairs appeared arranged before her desk.

"Thank you, Professor," Kell said as they took a snap. Jenny politely declined, but did accept a cup of tea. Delia declined both.

McGonagall took a moment to consult a book on her desk, likely chosen and put there for her reference.

"So this tells me that you are something called non-binary. Neither boy nor girl. Does this sound about right?"

Kell thought for a moment, then nodded.

"The Castle didn't let them go down either hallway," Delia volunteered. "Recognised that Kell didn't fit in either."

McGonagall pulled Kell's file. "Ah, here it is. Yes. Your mother sent a letter shortly before the term started. I must apologise for not making the arrangements in advance, but it looks like Prefect Prince-Esper was able to pick up my slack." She smiled at Delia.

McGonagall looked at Jenny and smiled again. Jenny felt so small in that moment, like a bug under a microscope. The more she tried to hide, the more it seemed like McGonagall could read her mind. Eventually the imagined strain got to be too much.

"I'm a girl!" she blurted out, then immediately clapped her hand over her mouth. Oh, god, it felt like she wanted to die. She prayed to every deity she could think of – even to Santa Claus! – that she had never said that, was totally normal and didn't feel like a girl.

McGonagall, for her part, sat perfectly still then looked at Delia, one eyebrow raised. "Same experience as yours, I gather?"

Delia nodded. "She tried the Boy's Dormitory hallway and it wouldn't let her pass. Jason – er, Prefect Zabini then had me lead her down the Girl's hallway and there we were. Stood face to face with the First Year dorms. She and Kell are currently in the guest wing until we can get them sorted somewhere." Delia frowned at that, like she hated using the term, but for lack of a better one…

"Well, if the Castle recognises her as a girl and Kell as neither, I have no alternative but to bow to the wisdom. Miss Montgomery, Mx Carmichael. For the time being, you will share the 'guest wing'." She winked at Delia. "Until such time as we can find you proper accommodations or you graduate. If you wish to remain in that room for the remainder of your time here, that can be arranged as well. In the meantime, do I have your permission to let the other professors know your chosen names and pronouns?"

Kell jumped and started laughing. "Yes! Yes, please!" they shouted with joy. "Kell, please! They and them!"

Nonplussed, McGonagall turned to Jenny.

"I…I like…the name…Jennifer," she stammered. "She and her, please…"

McGonagall made a couple of notes on a pad and gave them to Fawkes. She then whispered to the phoenix and the bird took off through an open window, singing the whole time.

000

Jenny didn't realise she had left the Headmistress's office until she found herself stood in front of the Slytherin Common Room door. She blinked at it a couple of times then tried the handle. Locked. Drat. What was the password? Something about a horn…? Bighorn sheep? No, no, no. It was something to do with something slimy, but not a frog…snails? Nope. Slugs! Okay…now she was on to something.

"Slug face?" Nothing. "Slug breath?" Not that either. "Better luck next time, slughead!" she sang in an awful Russian accent, laughing the whole time. The snake head that held the knocker hissed in what Jenny took to be disapproval. _Slug-head…Ah!_ "Slughorn," she whispered. The knocker head thingy winked at her and she heard the bolt draw in. She turned the handle et violá! The door opened and she entered the Common Room.

She sank into a sofa and tried to remember what had happened after she came out to McGonagall. The only memories that pieced themselves into a coherent narrative were:  
A) she admitted she was trans;  
B) was told to meet with Professor Potter sometime this week about some sort of charm;  
C) McGonagall had transfigured her uniform from the boys' to the girls'.  
She barely registered the swish of the skirt against her now bare legs as she let them carry her down to the Dungeons. Jenny didn't even know what time it was, but it must have been late, possibly past lunch because she was now quite hungry. She wished her phone worked, at least she would know what time it was. It was at that moment that a clock chimed somewhere in the room. Jenny followed the sound to an ancient-looking brass and jeweled marvel sat on the mantel over the massive fireplace.

Just after two in the afternoon. Drat and double drat. "Ah, Fiddlebeans!" She cursed aloud. At that moment, a loud crack to her left startled her. She jumped away as a small, brown creature with huge eyes, massive, floppy ears and wearing what looked like a towel for a toga appeared beside her.

"Are ye wantin' somethin', lassie?" the creature asked, dipping its head slightly.

Lost for words, Jenny could only stare, her mouth gone dry. The creature stood and stared right at Jenny. "Fiddlebeans is answerin' the lassie's summons. Will ye be wantin' something?"

"I – I – "she stammered. "I'm sorry, I was cursing, but I don't know many curse words, so I just said that. Is…is that your name?"

"Fiddlebeans is called Fiddlebeans, yes, lass. Is the lass wantin' something or can Fiddlebeans go back about her business?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, yes!" Jenny apologised profusely. "I was just angry because I missed lunch. Now I have to wait until dinner and that's in four hours." Her stomach growled loudly, causing Jenny to blush in embarrassment.

Fiddlebeans – apparently – noticed this and smirked. "Let Fiddlebeans get ye a sandwich or a bowl of stew, per'aps?"

"Oh, stew sounds wonderful!" Jenny swooned. "I'm really sorry to make you go out of your way."

Fiddlebeans only laughed softly as she – I think Fiddlebeans is a she? – snapped her fingers. A bowl of steaming hot stew appeared on a coffee table by one of the couches.

Jenny knelt down and offered her hand. "Thank you, Fiddlebeans. My name is Jer…Jenny." It felt good calling herself that.

Fiddlebeans smirked. "No need to be thanking Fiddlebeans, lass. Only doin' her job, she is." She snapped her fingers once again and disappeared. Left alone, Jenny rounded on the table with the stew. To her delight, it was a full setting. A rich, beefy stew with beans, peas, green beans and carrots. Next to that, a small plate with cornbread and that magical goblet filled with ice-water. Jenny picked up the spoon and went to work with gusto.

Her late lunch finished, Jenny checked the clock. Wow, she must have been really hungry. The entire place setting was gone in under ten minutes. But, what to do about the rest of the afternoon? Wait…there was a Professor she was supposed to meet… Potter! Yes! If Professor Potter was available, she would talk to her about some sort of charm. She pulled her schedule out of her school bag and looked up the classroom she was supposed to find.

It took the better part of the rest of the afternoon before Jenny was able to locate Professor Potter's classroom. The bloody stairs moved, damn them! She was deposited into a corridor she didn't need and stood waiting for the return flight as if for the bus home. This would prove a challenge, but Jenny wanted this, to test herself.

Eventually, as the light slanted into the windows high above, she finally stood before a small, oak door. A very pretty brass plaque with the inscription _Prof. H. Potter_ affixed near the middle. She knocked and waited to be invited in. The door opened and a friendly voice bade her enter.

Jenny was surprised to see the door close on its own, for the only other occupant of the room stood at the far end. "Right, magic," she muttered aloud.

"Amazing for all the things it _can_ do," Professor Potter said. She crossed from a small ante-chamber, her heels click-clacking on the hard stone floor before sitting down on a corner of her desk. "Frustrating for the things it _can't_." A sad smile crossed her face before she settled it into a mask of impassivity. "The Headmistress let me know you were coming, but I didn't expect you to be so eager. Miss Montgomery, I presume?"

Jenny stiffened as if she were going to salute, but Professor Potter laughed kindly. It was a very friendly laugh, disarming, in a way. "No need to be that formal. You're in school, not the Army." She glanced at a sheet of paper. "But your father _is_ in the army, yes? Looks like a tanker."

"Yes, Professor. He made sergeant a couple of months ago. Mum and I are very proud of him."

Professor Potter smiled. Then she gently tapped the side of her head. "Where are my manners?" She pointed to a seat in the first row. "Please have a seat. Would you like a snack?"

Jenny shook her head but accepted the seat offered. Professor Potter went back to her papers. A few 'hmmms', one or two 'yeps' and an 'a-ha' were the extent of conversation until she reached the note Jenny recognised from McGonagall. "I see, yes. This makes it clear. So," she set the stack down and looked right at Jenny. "Your parents named you Jeremy expecting a son." Jenny frowned. Professor Potter smiled kindly. "But, you're not. You would much rather be their daughter, Jennifer. Sound about right?"

Jenny nodded shyly.

"And you're scared to tell them?"

…"yes…" it was almost a whisper.

"Afraid they'll disown you… or worse…"

Jenny was on the verge of crying.

"I know _exactly_ what that feels like," Professor Potter sighed softly. "I never really knew my parents, but everyone who did know them said they would have been proud of me no matter what." She looked down at Jenny, now wiping tears away with a look of undisguised awe. Harley knew that look. Not quite the hero-worship she had endured as a child, but the look of dawning realisation, the look that says 'wait, you mean to say…' "They knew me as someone else back then. A mask. A figure they could project their wants and needs and hopes onto. But that wasn't me. Took a few years after I graduated – finally – to figure out _why_ I hated who that person was. It wasn't _me_. Not the real me, the me deep down inside."

"Then, you were…are…like me?"

"Oh, yes. I am just like you. And just like you, I was so afraid. Afraid of ruining the expectations of others, wrecking their dreams of who they thought I was _supposed_ to be," Professor Potter laughed ruefully. "Ironically enough, my aunt and uncle even claimed I wasn't their nephew, not really… ah, but I won't bore you with that. You are here because you need my help and I am here because I can help you. Do you want me to help you?"

"I…yes! I want…no…I _am_ a girl. I just need everyone else to know that, too."

"There are things I can do and cannot do," Professor Potter sighed. "Just like magic, I have limitations as well. I can give you a special necklace or item of clothing that will make you _look_ like a girl, even to yourself in the mirror. But, to make everyone else _know_ you are a girl, you will have to tell them. That is a special kind of magic. It can't be taught, but you can learn it."

"What magic is that, Professor?" Jenny asked in wide-eyed awe.

Professor Potter smiled and gently patted Jenny's hand. "Courage. Bravery. Despite what my classmates would have told you, Gryffindor House is not alone in bravery. We're just better known for it because we are more…daring." She smiled at that. "Some would even say stupid."

Jenny giggled and this caused Professor Potter to laugh as well. "Yeah, I did a lot of _really_ stupid things while I was here," she laughed. "Maybe I was hoping to find who I really was at the end of some grand adventure. But, Slytherin House. They have the courage to face the greatest challenge of all. The face in the mirror. Who they really are, deep down." She pointed at Jenny's heart. "The you that only you really know."

Jenny was laughing and crying in equal measure. She knew this was the only way. She had already admitted it to herself, a few gaming chums and now her Professors. The biggest test lay with her parents and the rest of her Housemates.

They both laughed themselves out and sat quietly for a few moments. Professor Potter stood up and walked around behind her desk. She pulled a small, simple wood box from a drawer and then opened it for Jenny to see. An assortment of jewelry. Necklaces, chokers, simple rings, a few earrings also.

"A present from Harley Potter to Jennifer Montgomery. Pick the one you like the best and I will put the appropriate Charms on it."

Jenny stood up and leaned in close to get a good look at the items in the box. She gently fingered each until a slight zing raced up her arm as she held the deep charcoal velvet choker. Professor Potter raised her eyebrow. "Did you want a bit of flash on that, or is the plain ribbon fine?"

"I like it just like this, Professor. Thank you!"

"I'll deliver it to you when it's done," Professor Potter said, taking the strip of cloth. "Shouldn't take a couple of weeks. I think by your second or third Charms class. Deal?"

"I can't pay – "

Professor Potter waved it off. "I could never ask for nor will I accept payment, especially from a student…a sister." She winked, causing Jenny to giggle again. "Just promise me that if you are ever in a position to help another youngster like you when you get older, you will help."

Jenny did salute smartly. "I promise, Professor!"

Professor Potter laughed aloud. "Oh, you are too precious, kiddo! But, I think you've been cooped up inside too long. Go out and play around a bit before supper. It looks to be a lovely day."

"I…I'll do that! Thank you again for all your help, Professor!" She bowed slightly before turning on her heel and dashing out.

Harley laughed herself out as she sat back behind her desk. She pulled out a sheet of parchment and her good quill.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Sorry it took so long to write. It has been a couple months, but I finally got settled into my new life as a teacher. McGonagall took me in without question and set me up as the new Charms instructor. Seems old Flitwick decided it was high time to retire. I know everyone else would have thought I would be a great DADA teacher, but that part of my life, the persona I was pretending to be, is over. Harry the Boy-Who-Lived Potter never was. Anyway…_

* * *

I made an executive decision and essentially re-named The Patel twins. I have never met anyone from South Asia who romanised their family name as "Patil" – it has been "Patel" – I _want_ to think this was Rowling simply failing to do the research, rather like with Cho Chang…it's also been my experience that no Chinese family gives their daughter a family/surname as a _given_ name.  
I would _like_ to think that, but with her record of house-elves as thinly-veiled caricatures of African-American stereotypes and blackface minstrelsy … maybe not. It is for that reason I redid the dialogue for Fiddlebeans the House-elf. For the "blind idiot translation", I essentially invented a grammatical rule that the house-elves do not have a "first-person" identifier (I, my, me, mine) in English and thus speak in the third-person.  
But, enough about that. Let me know what you thought in the comments below.  
Thanks for reading  
The Marshall.


	3. Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroine starts her classes, bares her soul and learns about the magical world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as promised, inspiration has struck and I have a healthy backlog of chapters now waiting for my beta-readers to edit and give me sh!t over.  
> I will try and get the next few posted one a week until I have run out reach the conclusion of this book.

Jenny was up well before dawn. She slipped quietly out of the shared room, took care of her morning necessities and shower. She sighed contentedly as the newly transfigured skirt slid up her legs and she fastened it around her waist. She futzed with her hair a bit, trying to make the short cut look somewhat feminine, but gave up and let it do its own thing. She buttoned her blouse to the collar and loosely tied her tie. She could smarten up when it was time to leave.

Sneaking back into the dorm room, Jenny rummaged about in her ruck looking for the legal pad she brought with her. She found it and grabbed a ball-point pen then eased the door closed behind her. She posted up at the desk farthest away from any other doors, switched on the desk lamp and clicked her pen.

_Dearest Mum and Dad,_

_I know I said I wanted to talk to you about this in person, but I don't think it can wait until the holidays. Plus, I want to give you plenty of time to Google the information so we can have a proper talk…  
What I am about to tell you is not easy and it's going to be scary. I hope and pray you will still love me after this, because I'm scared otherwise…  
I am not your son Jeremy. I never really was. I was pretending. In my heart and deep in my soul I am actually a girl and my name is Jennifer. My Prefect, Delia, calls it " ~~transgneder~~ " oops "transgender" and she is too. And so is one of my professors, Professor Potter. She offered to talk to you and help me look like a girl with some magic but also told me that the greatest magic is called courage and has to come from inside me. So I am writing this to you.  
Delia offered to let me borrow one of her books, and I can send it to you if you want. I will also write some links at the bottom so you can start searching right away.  
I wish I could tell you in person so you can see how happy I am as a girl, or even call you on the phone, but the castle doesn't allow for mobile calls and I don't think there is a telephone anywhere around here._

_Anyway, I hope you are doing okay. And, since I don't have any access to internet, please let me know if we beat Wolverhampton._

_All my love,  
your daughter, Jenny_

Jenny folded the letter and sealed it with the wax seal. The coiled serpent in the green wax made it look so official. _Just like in mum's drama, so hoity-toity!_ Her task done, she slipped the letter into her school bag, yawned deeply then wandered over to one of the plush couches and tipped over onto it.

Sometime later, she was gently shaken awake. She stirred slightly before jolting upright. "What time is it!?" she hissed.

Kell, the student who woke her, jumped back slightly. After they both gathered their wits, Kell said, "It's a little after six. When my alarm went off, I looked over and saw you weren't in bed. Are you okay?"

Jenny calmed herself. She was not late for class. Nor even breakfast! "Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up early, is all. Couldn't sleep, so I came out here to write a letter to my parents."

"Ah, okay," Kell said, relieved. "Did you…did you tell them…?"

Jenny nodded.

"We have something called Divination first today," Kell changed the subject. "I guess it's about seeing the future, or something."

"Like the horoscope stuff in the papers?"

"I guess," Kell shrugged.

000

"What?! The whole thing?!" Jenny was arguing with a post owl. "The Royal Mail doesn't charge _anything_ like that for 1st class domestic and you want the whole bloody banger just to fly to Liverpool!?"

The dark-grey and white spotted owl hooted indignantly and simply dropped Jenny's letter onto her plate. "You little wanker," Jenny muttered angrily. "Fine! Take the bloody sausage, you little sod!"

The post owl bit her hand, enough to hurt, but not draw blood before grabbing her last sausage and picking up her letter. It flew off with another indignant hoot. Paul and Beth, both sat next to her, were laughing hysterically at the impromptu breakfast show. And more than a few other Slytherins were as well.

"Postal unions, what can you do?" a Second Year across the table next to Kell laughed. "Name's Andrew. The Honourable Andrew Percival Chalmers-Painswick, the X-plus-one of the line of Andrew Percival Chalmers-Painswickses … Soon to be Umpteenth Viscount of… someplace somewhere south of here…I lost track and I don't really care. Please, call me Drew. It would take all day to rattle off all the 'titles' I will inherit upon dear old daddy's death."

Jenny liked him immediately. He was handsome, easy with his manners and carefree. He was the antithesis of everything about the upper crust Jenny despised. In a word, republican.

"Jennifer Montgomery, Jarl of Windhelm," she laughed while blushing at the same time. "Legate of the Imperial Army and Listener for the Dark Brotherhood."

"Ah, My Lady! I am simply delighted to meet you!" Drew stood and made a ridiculously flourishing bow.

Jenny held out her hand ostentatiously as Drew took it and gently brushed his lips over her knuckles. Jenny's face grew redder by the moment. "You may be seated, kindly sir."

"Your humble servant thanks you, My Lady!"

"So, where are you from, Drew?"

"Dorchester, or thereabouts," He said, sitting back down and nibbling on a muffin he had squirreled away earlier. "I think my dad has a small estate in the country, but I spent most of my time until Grade 5 in Weymouth. You?"

"Liverpool, Merseyside," Jenny volunteered. "Mum's family are from southern Germany, though."

Drew nodded then looked at Kell.

"I'm from York," Kell said. "Dad is from there too, but mum is from South Africa and she is Anasa'i."

"That's fantastic," Drew said. "I had been hoping for more people from round the world to filter into Syltherin. Welcome, Kell." He turned to Beth and Paul.

"My family are all from Greater London and India," Beth said. "And, we're not posh though, despite our last name. Mum and Dad simply chose to hyphenate, rather than one take the other's name." She rested her chin in her hand. "Anyway, I don't think we're any sort of royalty either, unless you count the one great, great, great grandfather who got knighted for something he did in India, or was it France…?"

Drew shrugged his shoulders, but nodded appreciatively. "I don't think knighthoods are passed down. You have to earn those. What about you, young squire?" He looked at Paul, but Paul was completely engrossed in Jenny.

"I thought you said your name was Jerry, mate."

Jenny nearly choked on the last of her tea. Drew leaned in. Inter-personal drama was always more interesting than dusty family histories.

"And, are you wearing a skirt, then?" Beth tried to gain Drew's attention by diving into Sir Great, great, great grandfather's exploits, including his marriage to an Anglo-Indian woman, but Drew was now laser-focused on a potentially entertaining row brewing between his underclassmen.

"Yeah," Jenny admitted. She sank her head onto her chest. "I'm really a girl, but I was -"

"Oh!" Paul smacked his fist into his palm as he unintentionally interrupted Jenny. "Why didn't you say so? Was this part of the cock-up with the room and board our first night?"

Jenny's head shot right up. _An easy out!_ "Yes!" She latched onto it with all her might. "Yes! An error on the paperwork!" Not exactly a lie – again - technically. The "M" on her deed poll _was_ a mistake as far as she was concerned.

"I hate when that happens!" Paul spat. "I hear about it all the time from my mum. I see how angry it makes her. I'm sorry, mate…er…"

"You can still call me mate, if you like," Jenny beamed. "I don't mind."

That crisis averted, Drew sulked a bit before putting his smile back in place. "Bah! That was not entertaining in the least. You shall have to try much harder, hatchlings."*

Again, Jenny choked on another sip of tea. This caught Drew's attention again, but his question was interrupted as the breakfast fixings cleared from the table and the Headmistress stood.

"That's breakfast," Jason called out. The Slytherin table all stood and filed out. As Drew parted company and went with the rest of his year, he waved at Jenny. "Catch you…later."

Jenny smirked. "No you won't," she sang.

"Good girl!" Drew called back.

Jenny followed Beth, Kell and Paul up to the Divination tower, since the three of them were able to actually explore the grounds yesterday while Jenny was stuck indoors.

000

"Good Morning, class," Professor Patel said as the students found either a chair, comfy cushion or a sofa to sit on. The Slytherins were sharing the class with Gryffindor, so a few barbs and dirty looks were shared, but, thankfully, no fisticuffs – yet. "I am Professor Patel. Welcome to Divination. Here, we shall discover if you have the Second Sight needed to peer into the future. If you do not, there is no shame in that and I will be more than happy to sign your withdrawal slips."

Professor Patel spent a few minutes passing around several trays of tea cups and a few pots of hot tea.

"I brewed this tea this morning. It comes from Assam State in India. Please enjoy, because the reading of the tea leaves is an important part of Divination."

Never one to pass up a good brew, Jenny poured herself and Beth a cup each and savoured the rich, black tea. "Blimey, that's good," Beth whispered.

"Mhmm," Jenny agreed. "Even if I don't have the Sight, at least I can ask after more of this."

Most of the class had drained their cups in short order and were now staring at the dregs, wondering what came next.

"Now, I want you all to take out your textbooks and turn to page seven. Begin looking for images that match what you see in your cups."

000

"I don't think I have it," Beth sighed. "All I could see was old tea leaves clumped at the bottom of my cup."

"Me too," Jenny said. "Oh, well. Can't be great at everything. I think I'll stick it out for two or three more sessions, then drop."

"Same here," Beth said. At that moment, Paul came down the stairs with a weird look on his face.

"I think I saw something awful," he said, looking rather ill. "I saw a lot of trouble and pain from someone close to me."

This made Jenny's heart stop. Her letter to her parents. The letter explaining her gender identity was, at that very moment, winging its way to Liverpool in the beak of a hungry highway robber. There was no way to call it back, either. At least, she didn't think there was.

"I don't know any more than that, because class ended before I could ask, but I wrote it all down." He patted his shoulder bag.

"Wow," Beth said. "I wonder if you have the Sight."

Paul just shrugged his shoulders. He dug out the class schedule. "Aww, man. Arithmancy. That sounds like maths! I _hate_ maths!"

"Ah, something I actually _am_ good at," Jenny giggled, regaining a bit of her cheer.

000

Jenny sat at the Slytherin table for lunch, pushing some noodles around her plate, but not really eating anything. Beth leaned in. "I'm sure it's nothing to do with you, hon. Paul could have seen anything in that teacup."

"Yeah, but I came out to my parents this morning," Jenny blanched again. "Who else could it have been?"

"Literally anyone else in this school," Beth assured. "But, if it makes you feel better, talk to Delia tonight after class. Remember, she went through the same thing as you. She can give you advice."

Jenny nodded and felt some of her appetite return. She just added a second helping of toast when the same Barred owl from the day before dropped a note in front of her. She picked it up and immediately recognised her mum's handwriting. Swallowing the hard lump that formed in her throat, she opened the letter.

_Hi, sweetie._

_We just got your letter about making it to the school safely. Sorry to hear you don't have any reception on your phone, but your dad promises he'll send you any clippings from the papers.  
How are you fixed for school supplies? If you get close to running out of anything, drop us another post._

_We love you, son._

_Mom_

Well, the pit in her stomach just opened up again. This was the reply to the first letter sent on her free day. That means she would have at least another day…or more…of agony waiting for their reply to her coming out. Assuming they chose to reply at all.

000

Potions was nothing like Jenny ever expected. While Professor Slughorn was a competent man and seemed to know his business, most of the double period shared that day with Ravenclaw was him reminiscing over his life, the famous and almost famous that he knew and associated with; his friendly – and at times, not so friendly - rivalries with school chums and work associates. He spent a great deal of time talking about someone called Harry Potter and the Second Wizarding War against a supposedly immortal Dark wizard calling himself Voldemort. At this, Jenny felt compelled to raise her hand.

"Yes, er…Mist..er, sorry, _Miss_ Montgomery? You have a question?"

"Yes, sir," Jenny said, choosing to ignore the almost fuck up with her name. "I'm Muggleborn, so sorry if this may sound strange, but why didn't the MoD turn out the army to find this Voldemort person and then just shoot him? Or blow him up? Seems to me it would have been a lot less hassle than trying to get one of the students here to kill him."

Slughorn stopped and thought about that. Actually thought about it. As she looked about the room, Jenny also noticed several others appearing to think about her question as well.

"I guess because of the Statute of Secrecy," Slughorn finally conceded. "It prevented us from informing the Muggle government what was happening. And, as I mentioned before, Voldemort had used evil – forbidden - Dark magic to make himself functionally immortal. Only another powerful magic-user could truly defeat him. And that magic-user was Harry Potter."

"Oh, I guess that's alright then. Sorry to interrupt your story, Professor."

"Not at all, my dear," Slughorn smiled. "If you like, please do stay after class; I can fill you in some more."

"Thank you, Professor, but I have another appointment tonight. Perhaps another day?"

Slughorn nodded and resumed his story right where Jenny had cut him off.

000

An hour before supper and no class left the Firsties with a free hour. Most made their way toward the dungeons or the courtyard. Jenny, on the other hand, went up to the library.

"Madam Pince?" Jenny asked softly. "Is there anything in here about being transgender?"

Irma Pince stopped her sorting and looked at Jenny. "I'm sorry, dear. That's outside the usual school curriculum, but if you like, I can contact the Department of Magical History or the Department of Health and Welfare and see if they have anything."

Somewhat dejected, but unsurprised, Jenny thanked Madam Pince and sat at a reading table, idly thumbing a book left by a previous student. As she let her attention focus, it turned out to be a book of potions. She opened the book and started reading. It was somewhat advanced stuff, or at least, it looked that way to a novice First Year who had just finished a less than educational period with an unreliable narrator. Her eyes caught on a page, the name of the potion leaping out at her. She read about the effects it supposedly imparted. Excitedly, she grabbed the book and hurried back over to Madam Pince.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, Madam Pince."

"Not to worry, my dear. I'm here to help you. What did you need?"

"What do you know about this potion?" Jenny showed Madam Pince the page.

Pince paled slightly. "That, my dear, is a very dangerous and wildly unstable mixture. This book shouldn't even be out of the Restricted Section. Where did you find it?"

"But, does it work?"

Madam Pince shook her head. "I have only ever heard of it working as intended once. The _Feminea Reformata_ is an experimental potion and the effects are hard to predict because it works differently on everyone who tried it. No few have gone mad or even died after taking it. I would very much suggest that you forget about this one, my dear. There are other, much safer potions and treatments available."

"Okay." Jenny was crestfallen. It was not the answer she wanted, but it was the answer she needed. "Thank you, Madam Pince."

"You're Jennifer Montgomery, aren't you?"

Jenny nodded. Madam Pince smiled softly. "The Headmistress informed me about you. I will put in a rush request for anything the Ministry may have. I can't guarantee much, but it will be something."

Jenny smiled again. "Thank you, Madam Pince. Sorry to bother you."

"Oh, don't you worry about a thing, sweetie," she chuckled. The clock in the Great Hall struck six and the massive bell reverberated throughout the school. Even in the Library, charmed as it was for silence, the bell could be heard faintly. "Now, you'd better get a move on. Supper is about to start!"

Jenny fast-walked out of the library until she was out, then ran at top speed until she was in the Slytherin crowd getting ready for supper.

* * *

So, I totally made up the "Anasa'i". Rather than go down the Stephanie Meyer route (Twilight) and appropriate an actual people group (the Quileute tribe), I simply invented something for the purposes of this story in an attempt to avoid any Unfortunate Implications. If this rubs some people the wrong way – this is a story set in a fictional universe where magic and gorram dragons are a thing, so deal with it.

*hatchling. Here, Drew is referring to his newly arrived underclass Slytherins. But, among the trans community, a hatchling can also refer to someone just realising their trans identity (c.f. "egg")


	4. Acculturation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny learns to enjoy class and the camaraderie that comes with new friends, but she is still in limbo about her coming out to her parents.

It was a week since Jenny had posted her coming out letter to her parents. A week of silence. Not even a check-in reminder. Jenny was now on the verge of panic. _They hate me now! They're going to take me out of school or kick me out of the house!_

Beth, ever the observant one, noticed Jenny's breath pick up the pace. She placed a comforting hand on Jenny's back and started rubbing slow circles.

"Thanks," Jenny murmured.

"What's got you so excited?"

"My parents. They still haven't answered my letter. It's been a week!"

Beth smiled and waved Delia over.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Delia said as she sat opposite Beth on the sofa.

"My letter to my parents. They haven't answered."

Delia smiled. "Well, try to think about it from their point of view. You just informed them that you are not the person they thought – or hoped – you were. It takes some people a lot of time to process that and accept who you say you are. Our parents," she pointed at Beth and herself. "Are still coming to grips with it. My mum still calls me her son, but that's pretty rare anymore. Just let them think about it. It's a lot for someone to handle all at once."

"But what if they don't want me anymore?" Jenny started to panic again, drawing the attention of some others lounging about in the Common Room. Delia helped Jenny to her feet and took them both into the room Jenny shared with Kell.

"Kell, would you mind terribly if we all talked to Jennifer for a few minutes?" Delia asked.

"Is she okay?" Kell asked, worrying their lip at how distraught Jenny looked.

The four of them sat upon Jenny's bed, until Neko nudged her way into the group, purring the whole time. The cat curled up into Jenny's lap and she felt a little better.

"How are you feeling?" Delia asked, stroking Jenny's hair. "Any better?"

"Uh-huh."

"I am certain your parents love you very much," Delia continued. "It takes a great deal of love and trust for them to be able to willingly send you out to this godsforsaken patch of Scottish moor to attend a school for magic they never even knew about until recently."

"But, what if –"

Delia held a finger to Jenny's lips. "Let's not worry over something that hasn't even happened yet. Give your parents the time they need to really process what you've told them. When you go home for the Christmas holiday, let them see you and how happy you are now. Let tomorrow take care of itself."

"Okay," the voice sounded so small, so lonely.

The rest of the afternoon passed and evening was coming on. Supper would be served soon, so Delia rounded the kids up and got them ready.

"Life usually works out how it should," Delia assured. "Just make sure to noodge it in the right direction every once in a while." She winked and Jenny giggled.

000

"Miss Montgomery, is something the matter?" Madam Hooch asked as Jenny stared blankly at the school broom she was given for flying lessons. Because of a scheduling conflict, it had been over a week since start of term that the First Year Slytherins were out on the practice pitch for their first flying lesson. She snapped her reverie and looked at the instructor.

"I'm sorry, Madam Hooch… I'm…kinda scared of heights." Partially true. She had never been more than a few feet off the ground in her entire young life. That and she was still stressing over the lack of reply from her parents. She really needed to get her head back on straight or she would see herself flunked out of school.

"That's perfectly understandable." Madam Hooch smiled. "I understand you're Muggle-born, correct?"

Jenny nodded.

"Never flew in an aeroplane?"

"No, Madam Hooch. We either took the train, public transit or the car. I've never even left the UK."

"Alright. We'll take things slow. Just mount your broom and focus on just hovering above the ground. I'll be close by if you start to get scared."

Jenny cautiously mounted her broom and clung to it for dear life as it lifted a few feet of the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, felt herself nose into the pitch and then she fell off. She opened her eyes to find herself flat on her back staring up at Madam Hooch right above her.

"Well, keep trying. The only way to get good is practice, practice, practice."

"Yes, Madam Hooch."

000

Charms had turned out to be Jenny's favourite class. She seemed to have the knack for it. Even Professor Potter was impressed. She called the class to order and wrote out the study lesson for the day. Today was Slytherins alone, which gave the children room to spread out a bit.

"This is the Levitating Charm," she explained as the chalk drew itself across the blackboard. "One of a wizard's most basic spells. Good for getting at things that are out of reach, or for carrying a heavy load, like an over-packed trunk."

She produced her wand and demonstrated the motion "Swish, then flick. And say the incantation at the same time. Swish 'Wingardium' and then flick 'Leviosa'."

She watched her students all attempt the charm, with varying degrees of lack-lustre success. She smiled as she remembered Ron's first go at it. That reminded her of Hermione's reaction. "Remember. It's levee-OH-sah, not levee-oh-SAH," Harley told her class. _Hermione would be so proud_. She should include that bit in her next letter.

Now, there was more success. The students repeated the pronunciation and the wand movements and their feathers were sent flying about the room. Had she not known better, Harley would be convinced a feather pillow had been torn open in front of a fan and dumped out. She tried very hard not to laugh, but gave it up as hopeless and shared in the mirth of her class. Ah, she never did have much of a childhood, did she? Between the Dursleys and Voldemort and Dumbledore - the old prat - she had been forced to grow up and fast. Now, she could let her metaphorical hair down and just enjoy living.

As class wound down and feathers started to drift toward the floor, Harley called the class to order. "Alright. That was spectacular! Five points to Slytherin on your excellent levitating charm work. Next time, we're trying something a bit heavier, so keep practicing."

The bell rang and the young Slytherins all stood and began filing out. "Miss Montgomery, a word, if you please?"

"I'll catch up," she told Beth, Paul, and Kell. She then went back to the front of the room.

"See you in the dungeon for Potions, mate." Paul called back. Jenny waited until the class emptied out before turning back to Professor Potter.

"I have your choker ready for you and I can perform a hair-growth charm if you want it." Professor Potter said. "I know it's not much, but I found it helped a lot when I began my journey."

"You can do that?"

Professor Potter smiled and winked. "It'll be just like Magic." Jenny sat in the seat directly before the teacher and waited expectantly, her legs excitedly bouncing on her toes. "How long do you want it?"

"Just past my ears for now," Jenny said. "You know, so it looks normal."

"You got it," Professor Potter sang. The humming was a nice touch as the teacher waved her wand in intricate patterns. As she finished, she pulled a mirror out of some hidden pocket. "Well, what do you think?"

Jenny stared at her reflection in awe. Just a bit of added length had completely changed how she looked. How she saw herself. In that instant, she almost didn't _need_ the charmed choker.

"Professor! It's fantastic! I don't know how to ever thank you!"

Professor Potter just laughed in that easy way she had about her. "As your Charms teacher, it is the least I should be expected to do for one of my students. Now, I think you will need a late-slip. If I'm not mistaken, it's Potions next for you, yes?"

"Yes, Professor. In the dungeons with Professor Slughorn."

Jenny almost stopped herself from making a face, Professor Potter caught it. But, rather than reprimand Jenny, simply said," Professor Slughorn does take some getting used to. Just let him talk, but take notes as he does. Once in a while, you may get a flash of insight out of him. It's not often, but it happens."

Jenny choked back a laugh and covered her mouth. Professor Potter winked at her as she gave Jenny the magical choker. "I don't think you need it now, but if it helps with your dysphoria, then please wear it. I want you to be happy, okay?"

"Yes, Professor! Thank you again!"

At this, Professor Potter pulled the late slip out of another hidden pocket and gave it to Jenny. "I doubt Horace – Professor Slughorn - will ask you about it, but better safe than sorry, especially if Filch catches you."

Jenny took the slip and hurried out of the room.

Harley walked back behind her desk and fell into her chair. "Oh, I would even give up my magic to have had a carefree childhood like that."

000

Potions that afternoon was paired with Hufflepuff. Taking Professor Potter's advice, Jenny took notes as Slughorn rambled on. She could always edit out the bits that did not pertain to class directly but found she did enjoy his stories.

Sooner than she would have admitted to herself, class ended and the Slytherins made their way out to the castle grounds. Today was to be their first day of Care for Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws, and Jenny looked forward to seeing what fantastic animals existed in the magical world.

She was not disappointed as the massive Hagrid gathered them all in a semi-circle and introduced them to a Pegasus. Jenny had seen many in cartoons, of course - her favourite being Rainbow Dash - but it was a whole new level of wonderment to see the white and grey-dappled creature right before her eyes.

"Righ'. 'Ere we 'ave a loverly creature. The Pegasus. 'Oo would like to share anything they know abou' the Pegasus?"

A few hands went up, a few tales were told, none of which Jenny had ever heard of. It was then she remembered the old Greek myth of Perseus. Her hand shot up.

"Yes, miss…?"

"Montgomery, sir. In the Greek myths, the Pegasus was given to Perseus by the god Poseidon to fly to the Shapeless Isle to fight and slay Medusa."

"Very good, very good. A Muggle story, but it does 'ave a bi' o' truth ter it. Pegasus often figure in several Muggle myths, usually the old stories from before Magical folk withdrew from the world. Two points ter Slytherin fer rememberin' that, Miss Montgomery."

She smiled and got several pats on the back for the house point boost. "Now then, 'oo wants ter try pettin 'er on the nose? Come now, don' be shy. Pegasus are very well behaved."

A Ravenclaw boy raised his hand and gingerly approached. "Now yeh hold yer hand out, aye, tha's righ', palm up see, let 'er get a sniffle of yeh before you pet 'er nose."

The boy did as instructed, approaching from in front, hand out. He stopped just in range as the Pegasus craned her neck forward slightly and gave several deep inhales. She stood back up, shook out her mane and lowered her head. The boy carefully approached and pet her nose, forehead to nostrils. He laughed. "This is baller!"

Paul and Jenny laughed, a few chuckled but most Slytherins didn't get the reference. "Will… will she let us ride her…?"

"Sorry, lad," Hagrid said sadly. "This'n won't let you and yer all a bit young ter be riding a Pegasus yet."

"Bummer," the boy looked dejected, but gave the Pegasus one last stroke on the snout before returning to the semi-circle.

000

And so the weeks passed. Jenny fell into her routine, but still nothing from her parents. Instead, she found herself drawn to Delia as a kind of trans mentor, an older sister she could talk to about her doubts. She, Beth and Kell spent evenings styling each other's hair, while Jenny and Paul sat around talking football.

Drew held her fascination like no one else, however, and she wondered if she was still too young to know what love is.

"Delia," she asked one evening as the group sat in the sofa nearest the window. The Slytherin dungeons, being beneath the castle and abutting the lake, offered a spectacular view of the magical aquatic wildlife.

"Yes, Jenny," she replied, braiding up Beth's hair while Beth tried to put a cornrow into Kell's.

"How old do I have to be to love someone?"

The other three stopped what they were doing and, in unison, turned to look right at Jenny.

"I, uh…" Delia stammered, looking for an answer she didn't have. "I don't think you have to be any age. You love your family, right?"

Jenny nodded. "This is different. It's like, with my family, I know I can trust them – I'm pretty sure. It's a comfortable thing. What I'm talking about is different. Like, my heart races when I see or talk to them."

"Oh, you mean you fancy someone." Beth clarified. "Who is it, if I can ask?"

Jenny blushed furiously. "Drew," she squeaked. This got Paul's attention as he looked at Jenny as well.

The other three remained silent for a moment before Kell cleared their throat. "Have you…told him?"

It defied belief that anyone could turn redder than she already was, but Jenny shook her head furiously. "No! What if he finds out and he hates me for it?"

Jenny was starting to hyperventilate again. Delia reached down and rubbed circles on her back, calming her down.

"Try this," Delia suggested. "Just start by being friends. He doesn't have to know any more about you than you feel comfortable telling him, okay?"

Jenny nodded.

"Then, if he tells you he fancies you like you fancy him, then you have that talk, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, want me to style your hair?" Delia asked as she tied off Beth's braid. "Professor Potter did a great job on the growth charm."

"How come you didn't want to grow it longer?" Kell asked. "You would look really pretty with it long."

Jenny blushed again. "I didn't want to have to take care of really long hair."

"Part of being a girl, sweetie," Delia chuckled. "Beauty is hard work and lots of effort."

000

It was looking to be a very peaceful and quiet year, exactly the sort of year Headmistress McGonagall preferred. Only a few well behaved Weasleys, no twin terrors, no mass-murderers escaping from prison or resurrecting themselves and no unscrupulous former Headmasters trying to "guide" a child too young to understand the ramifications of life and death. Yes, a quiet, peaceful year suited Headmistress Minerva McGonagall right down to the ground. She sighed heavily. It's at this point that the ground usually falls out from beneath someone's feet. Minerva McGonagall was getting on in years, about the same age as Dumbledore – or as near to it as anyone could really guess. The history of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was as much legend and embellishment as established, verifiable fact. That he was brilliant was undeniable. A wizard of the first order. But it was mostly lies, leavened with rumour and conjecture

And he was an absolute bastard. The man could be charming in the extreme, and that was what made him so dangerous. The others he could wrap around his little finger, oh yes. But not Minerva McGonagall. That twinkle in his eye and the calm tone of his voice that made even sending a child to their death seem reasonable to most was wasted on her. She had seen it all before, lived through most of it herself. Saw the aftermath of supposedly charismatic autocrats sending their armies to cover the world in darkness and terror. She would not have any part of it.

She had guessed that most of the staff and teachers at Hogwarts were under his spell. Rubeus Hagrid the biggest cheerleader of them all. All except Severus Snape. She could see the same machinations, the same gift for manipulation and lies so easily told behind the mask of imperturbable calm he worked so hard to cultivate. Whether he and Albus were in cahoots or simply worked toward similar goals, she never found out nor did she ever care to.

It's no wonder poor Harry Potter chose to drop off the face of the earth. If it had been her, Minerva would have simply disappeared as well. Had she known of the internal turmoil the poor girl suffered, forced to live a life not her own, tossed about at the whims of greater powers beyond her years or understanding; so many friends and loved ones lost forever, it would have been enough to drive most people mad – or worse. But _Harley_ Potter knew who she was. She kept the mask on just long enough to do what had to be done, then discarded it like most discard a used newspaper and simply vanished. Minerva liked to think she was one of only a very few who Harley had included in her confidence and she was proud and honoured to carry that burden.

It took Headmistress McGonagall a few days to figure out who it was applying to replace Filius. But, in the end, all it took was a few minutes looking into those green eyes that had seen far too much pain, death and disappointment to recognise at once the woman sat before her was the young boy she had shepherded through six of the most heart-wrenching years of his, now her, young life. Naturally, she made no mention of it, didn't ask nor did she expect the interviewee to explain. The woman had demonstrated the skill necessary to win her place among the faculty and that was enough to satisfy the Headmistress' curiosity.

She would need to hire a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, although with Voldemort gone – for good this time, thankfully - and most of his acolytes dead or banged up in Azkaban, the Board of Governors felt it was a low priority this year. However, a Transfiguration teacher was in much greater need. McGonagall could only just perform her duties as Headmistress _and_ teach an intensively mentally challenging class. She picked up the stack of CVs and idly flipped through them. A name caught her eye, one she was not entirely sure she read correctly.

The clock in the Great Hall struck five. Supper would be served soon and she had a few items of paperwork for the Ministry of Magic that yet needed attention. Well, it could wait until the morrow. She set the stack of CVs aside, poured herself a cup of tea and looked out onto her domain. All those ridiculous little contraptions had been stored away and the office was now more or less free of clutter and noise – the occasional snore from a former Headmaster's portrait notwithstanding.

And Severus' snark. That had been a problem. She took great glee in brandishing her clan broadsword at his portrait, threatening to cut it to ribbons if he kept it up. Headmaster Black's portrait took great pleasure in that as well. Ah, well. Supper beckoned and it had been a while since afternoon tea. She cleared her desk, stacked all her papers neatly in a corner and bid farewell to Fawkes.

000

The long-anticipated – and long-dreaded – letter from her parents arrived in the evening post. The Barred owl Jenny had taken a bit of a liking to sat and waited patiently for a strip of chicken and a bone. It placed the letter directly in her hand and seemed to nod slightly before it took flight back out the window. Drew had also received a letter from home, delivered by the same blackmailing owl who demanded her entire sausage.

Her palms began to sweat as she stared at the standard post envelope; her mother's exacting handwriting on the front. This was the moment of truth, the thing she dreaded the last month was now waiting to be read. Would they accept her? Deny her? Try and talk her out of it? That was what she despised most about her mother; the way she could lawyer Jenny into believing almost anything. Not this time. Jenny _knew_ she was a girl, and no amount of verbal sleight of hand was going to change her mind about _that_!

"Are you going to open it?" Drew asked, noting that Jenny shook slightly. "Something you aren't looking forward to, perhaps?"

Jenny slipped the envelope into her school bag. "It's nothing I want the rest of the school to know about," she replied, voice shaky, but with some conviction.

"That's the Slytherin spirit," Drew said. He passed her a bit of fudge with a smile and a wink, causing Jenny's heart to simultaneously stop and race into overdrive. How someone could do that was beyond her understanding, but Drew could do it to her.

She sighed and smiled back "Thanks."

000

_~~Jen~~ Jeremy, sweetie;_

_Your father and I were rather surprised and a bit sad when we read your last letter telling us you think you might be a girl. It's perfectly understandable to be confused, especially at your age and finding yourself in unfamiliar places. We went to the links you gave us, but we both came away agreeing that you had never shown any signs of wanting to be a girl before now. We both know you seem to enjoy spending time down at the local with your dad watching the match with all the other lads, so we want you - no, we are begging you - to not do anything drastic, especially something that cannot be undone._

_I worry about this Delia person. I will caution you not to spend too much time with her and let her fill your head with ideas. You are still very young and I worry she will try and influence you. I understand she is your Prefect and there will be no avoiding her at all, but please, try and find other lads your own age to play with._

_As for Professor Potter, I would have had no idea. There was nothing about her at all when she came to explain your letter and acceptance to Hogwarts. That said, your father and I, while quite uncertain about it, will allow you to continue your education there, but, please don't let her fill you with ideas, either._

_Your father and I love you very much and please try to understand that we are only looking out for your safety and welfare. You can always come to us if you are having any doubts about being a boy._

_With much love_ _  
Mum and Dad_

Well, it was as bad as she feared.

The tears flowed fast and hot as she crumpled the letter and threw it in the corner. Had she been aware, she would have noticed Neko jump off the bed and pounce on her new cat toy. As it was, Jenny buried her face in her pillow and screamed herself hoarse. There was no one to comfort her as she had left the Great Hall early, claiming she wanted to get a bit more study time in before lights out.

Her parents hadn't outright rejected her. That might have been easier to take. She could still be herself, just without the love and support of family. No, this was infinitely worse. Her parents still claimed to love her but refused to acknowledge that she was not their son, but their daughter.

* * *

Thanks for reading. I am having a lot of fun writing this as well as using this a cheap form of personal therapy.


	5. Where Do I Go From Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny deals with the fallout from the rejection by her parents while those in her corner work quietly and diligently to get her the help she needs as she picks herself up and carries on with her life at Hogwarts.

“Hey, are you alright?” Kell whispered into Jenny’s ear as they gently shook her shoulder. Jenny simply burrowed deeper under the duvet.

Neko meowed once and batted the crumpled up letter at Kell. “Sorry, kitty, but I’m worried about Jenny. I’ll play with you later.” Neko meowed again, but with a bit more intensity. She batted the crumpled letter against Kell’s leg.

“Kitty!” Kell said, before noticing the ball was, in fact, a crumpled ball of paper. The cat had played with it enough to unwrap it slightly and Kell was now able to see handwriting on the page. Neko sat on her haunches and looked up expectantly. Kell reached down and unfurled the paper completely. As they read, their expression darkened. “Oh…Oh! Oh, Jenny.” They left the dorm and sought out Delia in the Common Room.

Delia took the proffered letter, read it and took several deep breaths to control her rising anger.

“Is she in your room?”

Kell nodded. “She doesn’t wanna talk, though.”

“Okay, let her sleep. We can talk in the morning.” Delia sighed. This was not the first time she had read or heard about parents rejecting their child’s identity. She also knew it would not be the last. As Prefect, she still had a responsibility to all the younger students in her care, but she would respect the wishes of Jenny’s parents and not talk about gender. She was not about to encourage her charges to lie to their parents or caregivers. As for Professor Potter, even though she was head of Gryffindor, Delia knew Jenny also looked to her for guidance as well. It was not Delia’s place to say who Jenny could or should talk to, but she would need to at least alert the Headmistress.

_In the morning. This can wait until heads are clear and rested._

000

Jenny awoke to Neko’s butt in her face. The cat’s tail had been flicking her nose for some time “Pwuh! Alright. I’m up. I’m up,” she spat out cat fur. Jenny rolled over to look at the clock. 5:30 am. Plenty of time to get up, shower and get dressed. Embarrassed at having slept in her uniform – again – she snuck out of the room for her morning routine.

She returned to see Kell sat up and getting ready for the morning. “Are you feeling okay?”

“No,” Jenny replied. “It’s my parents…they…” she started to cry. Kell was on their feet with arms wrapped around the girl.

“I know, Jen. Your cat was playing with your letter last night. I almost didn’t think about it, but I saw what it was. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jenny sniffed. “I was going to tell you before breakfast anyway.”

“Um,” Kell stammered. “I, uh…I also showed Delia…” They prepared for angry words or blows, but instead Jenny clung tighter. “Was that okay?”

“I guess so. I had to tell her too…”

“What are you gonna do?”

“What _can_ I do?” Jenny moaned. “They’re my parents. I can’t go against them until I’m out of the house.”

“Well, you can still be Jenny here,” Kell offered. “And for as long as you are here.”

That did actually make Jenny feel a little better. She didn’t like lying to her parents, but she had already told them who she was and she couldn’t lie to herself either; not after she just started coming to terms with who she was. Even if to appease her parents, it would still be a lie. So, forced to choose between the two, she chose to be true to herself. She stood in front of the floor-length mirror Prefect Zabini acquired for the room, fixed her hair, straightened her tie and stepped into the Common Room.

“Good morning,” Delia said. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, Prefect Delia, thank you for asking. Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you." She sat on the sofa and patted the cushion next to her. "Want to talk about your letter from home?”

Jenny sat down, sighed deeply and started. “Kell already told me they showed you my letter. I’m not mad, not at you or them. I’m mad at mum and dad.”

“Okay, may I ask why?”

“Because they say they love me, but won’t accept I’m a girl,” Jenny whimpered. “They told me not to talk to you about it either.”

Delia leaned back into the plush sofa and gazed at the ceiling. “To be fair to your parents, they don’t know who I am,” she explained. “But, if they don’t want me talking to you about your gender, I have to respect that. The rest of Hogwarts already knows you as a girl; do you want to keep it that way?”

“Yes, because I _am_ a girl.”

“Okay. We’ll just go from there. While you’re here in the castle, you are Jennifer Montgomery, First Year Slytherin and a girl.”

The two sat quietly for a moment. “I _will_ have to tell the Headmistress, I’m afraid,” Delia said at length. “I’m sure she’ll understand. Assuming your parents haven’t sent her a letter already.”

“Oh, god,” Jenny moaned, burying her face in her hands. “I am absolutely certain mum already did. It’s her way. Make sure all her ducks are lined up before she presents her findings. She’s very thorough.”

000

At that very moment, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall finished reading a letter from one Annagret Montgomery, Esq. informing her that her ‘son, Jeremy’ was not to be allowed to express a gender other than masculine until she and her ‘son’ had a chance to delve into why it is ‘he’ _thought_ ‘he’ was a girl. She inquired as to the nature and costs of a wizarding equivalent to a therapist and if one could be made available to speak with ‘Jeremy’. If the NHS wouldn’t cover it, she would find the money. A response was requested as soon as practicable.

Well, this put the Headmistress in a bit of a bind; one she was none too happy to have been placed into. Aside from Delia Prince-Esper – and hers had been a very simple case of ‘whatever makes her happy’ from her parents, McGonagall had no precedent and certainly none of the former Headmasters had experienced this. While it was her duty to see the school educate - to the fullest extent possible - the children in her care, she also took as a mandate that her students be as comfortable and happy as possible as well, especially those who had never been away from home before. This letter from a parent put at odds how she would run the school.

Granted, there were ways to deal with this situation. A couple of Ministry wizards could simply pay the Montgomery family a visit and implant the memory of Jennifer always being a girl, but that level of brute-force “mind-hacking” always sat ill at ease in her own mind. Horribly unethical and altogether cruel, she thought. No, something like this had to be handled with tact and care. Now she actually found herself wishing she had some of Albus’ “talent” for getting others to see the point her way. Well, she may not have had his mastery of words, but she had him, of a sort. She had hoped to avoid involving him in _any_ way with the students at Hogwarts upon her ascension to office, but this was beyond her abilities and a good witch knows when to ask for help. And Minerva McGonagall considered herself to be a _very_ good witch indeed.

000

_Harley_

_I was so glad to get your letter from last month and so interested in what you were asking after that I lost myself in my research…but, you know how I get when there’s research to be done. The world just disappears. So, now it is my turn to apologise to you for the late reply.  
Enclosed in the box is a copy of everything the magical world has on transgender issues, rights and transition-related procedures and protocols I could find. Partly why it took me so long to get back to you. I also snagged a few items of interest from the Muggle world that might be of help as well. Sorry there isn’t more, but most of what I could find in print is older, out of date, or really dry medical reading _ _Too much even for me, ha-ha._ _I also discovered that most of this pertains to older people. The materials relating to trans youth is sparse to say the least. But I did include the sections from their most recent psychology texts that deals with what they call “Gender Dysphoria”. However, since the Muggle world has transferred most “everyday” transgender-related information online of late and without access to a computer and the internet, I would have to print off for you almost the entire World Wide Web. There simply isn’t enough ink and paper in existence for that task. But, if you like, Ronald and I would love to have you round for the Christmas holiday and let you use our computer. Rose is very happy to have you as her Head of House and Hugo would love to meet you as well._

_Take care of yourself and please make good food choices. You may be a witch, but you only get one set of teeth._

_Please don’t be a stranger, Harley._

_Love,  
Hermione_

Harley sat at her desk reading the letter from one of her best friends. She smiled and imagined Hermione, on her knees and elbow deep into old bookshelves in some dusty library in a forgotten corner of London. She pulled out her good quill and some parchment.

_Dear Hermione_

_I can’t thank you enough for doing this. This means far more to me than my own happiness and I hope this helps the students in my care.  
Please tell Ron I would love to pop round at the end of term. Is there anything you’d like me to bring? How old is Hugo now? Rose is a delight and, thankfully, nothing like the Twins. Ask them to make out their Christmas lists and I’m sure Santa Harley could see her way to fulfilling some of that. Ho ho ho.  
I will keep you notified as to progress. As I’m sure you know, I’m not at liberty to tell you who this student is, but I’m sure she will be very glad of all the help you’ve given.  
And I promise I will write more often than I have. Now that I am more or less settled in, I should be able to keep more regular correspondence. And, I promise. No sweets for me. Make your parents proud, yeah?_

_Yours,  
Harley_

The box was big, far too big for any post owl. Someone had to schlep this to the castle, likely in a delivery lorry. Harley opened it up and, right on top, the psychology texts Hermione had mentioned. She flipped through and noted, with mild bemusement, the annotations and cross-references in Hermione’s neat script. Closing the flaps back down, she tucked the letter into one of her many hidden pockets and set off for breakfast, enjoying the sound her heels made as they struck the stone floors.

000

Sat at the table waiting for breakfast, Jenny, Paul, Kell and Beth made light conversation. Mostly talking about sport, their studies and how they felt they were doing.

“I think I have to drop Divination,” Beth said. “I just don’t have the talent for it and it _would_ give me an extra period to catch up on Arithmancy.”

“I’m there with you,” Jenny nodded. “And, I can help you with your homework. Mum always said I had a good head for numbers.”

“I’ll miss you when you go,” Kell said. “I like Divination, and I think I may have the hang of it now.”

“I’m not sure what to do,” Paul added. “Every time I get into it, I get a clearer image of what I’m looking at. And it’s not happy. I see a lot of sadness. I don’t do so good with being sad.”

“Maybe you should drop, too,” Beth suggested.

“It wouldn’t help,” Paul said. “I would still _see_ what I saw, but I wouldn’t know _what_ I saw…I think that makes sense.”

The others simply shrugged. “I guess,” Kell said. “I think you want to know but are scared to.”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, Drew happened by with a big smile on his face. “Ladies, Lad, my enby pal. How are you my young friends?” He noted their drawn faces. “No!” a dramatic hand to the forehead. “Forsooth! I see frowns! Prithee, why the sad faces?”

“We have to drop Divination,” Beth said, covering for Jenny’s private hurt. “And Paul is scared of what he thinks he sees in the future.”

“Ah, ‘whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune! …The Undiscovered Country from whose bourne no traveler returns’.” Drew recited. “I may have paraphrased a bit, but no few have chafed to view the future and come away humbled.” The group fell silent before Drew spoke again. “I can’t say I ever found much use for seeing the future myself, but I guess I don’t have the Gift, either. So, I make do in potions.”

“Have you read Shakespeare in the original Klingon?” Jenny started to laugh. This brought a smile to Beth’s lips. She hated to see her friends sad.

“I…wait…yes, I get the reference!” Drew started to laugh as well. “Sadly, no. I must suffice myself with the pitiable human translation.”

Headmistress McGonagall stepped to the lectern and clapped her hands. She waited until all eyes were on her. “Students of Hogwarts. The fall season is upon us and soon Hallowe’en will be here. As it falls on a weekday, I have decided to suspend the dress code for that day and all students may come in costume if they wish.”

A great cheer and applause went up. McGonagall waited patiently for the noise to fall off before she resumed speaking. “And, starting next term, I will no longer be teaching Transfiguration.”

A groan went up. “We’ll miss you!” Someone over at Gryffindor table shouted and was followed with a smattering of laughter.

“I’m sure you shall,” she fired back, a wicked smirk on her lips. “Hogwarts will have a new Transfiguration professor on staff before the end of this term that we may all wish them the best of luck in the New Year. Now, please enjoy your breakfast.”

The usual sumptuous spread appeared before them. The five of them helped themselves to frybread, eggs, toast, and fruit. They all squirreled away something for later as they had learned early that it was a long time between meals and it helped to have a midday snack.

Kell, Drew and Beth usually went for apples or bananas, Jenny the muffins and Paul several slices of toast, carefully wrapped in a handkerchief.

Further up the table, a small paper airplane landed at Delia’s place. She looked around to see who could have sent it, until she noticed the Headmistress tip her hat at Delia. The Prefect nodded and opened the letter. _Please see me at your next free period, H.M.McG._ Delia looked back at the Headmistress and flashed the ‘OK’.

000

“Professor Patel?” Beth asked as she met the Divination teacher prior to class.

“Yes, Miss Prince-Esper. I can guess you are here to withdraw,” Professor Patel said. “And I see Miss Montgomery as well. Please wait here, children. I shall return in a moment.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Beth said.

They didn’t have to wait long as Professor Patel returned with two withdrawal slips. “I’m sorry to see you go, but I am happy you at least gave it a chance. Please do use your now free period to advance your other studies. Take care.”

“Thank you again, Professor,” Jenny said. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“Not everyone has the Sight, as I said. Have a good day.”

The two girls bade farewell to Paul before making their way out of the tower toward the Headmistress’ office.

000

"Two First Years approach the Headmistress's office in the middle of the day," the gargoyle guarding the entrance said. 

"We are here to talk about dropping a class," Beth explained.

"A valid enough reason," the gargoyle replied. "Await permission." Hearing only something the gargoyle could, it nodded once and slid aside.

“Enter.”

The girls opened the Headmistress’s office door and waited to be asked to approach. “Why Miss Prince-Esper and Miss Montgomery. Shouldn’t you be in class?” McGonagall looked over her readers.

“We are here to let you know we had to withdraw from Divination,” Beth spoke up, holding out her slip.

McGonagall motioned for them to approach her desk. She took both slips and read them over, a slight smile playing on her lips. “Well, at least you gave it a go, I’m happy to see that. Now, you two can either pick an elective, or I can assign a study period.”

“Study Period,” they said in unison.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. “Well, I must say you two are the more studious of Slytherins. Is there any class you are having troubles in?”

“Arithmancy,” Beth volunteered.

“I said I would help her,” Jenny said.

McGonagall nodded. “Well, that is very kind of you, Miss Montgomery. I see you are getting very good marks from Professor Patel. Very well. I shall instruct Mr. Filch to have a small classroom set aside for you to use as your study hall.”

“Thank you, Headmistress,” they sang in unison.

“But be aware,” McGonagall looked over her readers again, a stern look in her eye. “I am extending this study period as a privilege. I _expect_ you to study. Any funny business and I will assign an elective to the both of you. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Headmistress!”

McGonagall smiled. “Good. Now, Miss Prince-Esper, if you would please be so kind as to wait outside for a moment, I need to have a word in private with your friend.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Beth squeezed Jenny’s hand then turned and left the room. McGonagall watched her go before summoning a chair and her ever-present tin of gingersnaps. Jenny opted to accept the treat because she had a sinking suspicion she knew what was about to be said.

“I got a rather…let us say ‘interesting’ letter from your mother this morning.”

“I’m sorry about that, ma’am. Mum is very…very.” It was all Jenny could offer as she gesticulated about, but she hoped the Headmistress would understand.

A smile played at McGonagall’s lips. “Indeed. In it she made it quite clear that you are to revert to using your boy name and mode of dress…” She trailed off at the tears welling in Jenny’s eyes. While Minerva McGonagall considered herself strict, but fair; it hurt even her to see a child cry. “Be that as it may, _I_ am the Headmistress here, and the students are under my care while you reside in the castle. I shall see to it they are happy and safe to the limits of my authority. That said, I can see how much this hurts so, I shall ignore your mother’s ‘request’ and simply inform her that you are wearing the regulation uniform as required.”

Jenny’s tears stopped a moment later. “You…you mean…I don’t have to…”

“Wear the boy’s uniform? Absolutely not. I can see the distress that causes you and… I am not unfamiliar with what you may be going through.” She gave Jenny a friendly smile. “You shall continue as Jennifer and wear the girl’s uniform as long as it suits you, right up to graduation as needs be. In my correspondence with your parents, unfortunately, I shall have to misgender and dead-name you. I am so very sorry. At least until your parents can be brought round or you come of age and can do as you like. Do you object?”

“No, ma’am. Thank you for doing this for me. I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” Jenny sniffed. McGonagall handed her a box of tissues and the rubbish bin.

“Oh, my dear child it’s no trouble at all. In fact, it should be me apologising to you and to the others I failed to protect while they were here. I shan’t make that error again.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before McGonagall cleared her throat. “Now, I believe you and Miss Prince-Esper are due for study period. Mr. Filtch will escort you to your room. Thank you for stopping by, Miss Montgomery. Good day.”

Jenny stood and handed back the bin. “Thank you, Headmistress. Have a good day, too.”

000

“What this school is coming to, letting the young’uns run amok and un-chaperoned,” Filtch muttered to himself, not caring the girls could hear him quite well. “Kids should be in class, not laughing it up while _some_ of us have to work and look after the place. Messes everywhere. Oh, how I wish I had those Weasley boys and their friend Potter in _my_ detention. Not a peep out them after that, no siree.”

Beth and Jenny walked in terrified silence, not daring to arouse the man’s ire any further. He grudgingly opened a small classroom near the head of the Slytherin stairs and glared at them as they moved two desks to face each other using their newly developed skills in levitation.

“Don’t you make any messes in here, you two,” Filtch growled.

“No, sir,” They squeaked in unison.

Filtch glowered at them one last time, then turned and left.

As the door closed, they let out a collective sigh. “Uwah, he’s scary!” Beth hissed.

“I know,” Jenny replied in a whisper. “I don’t _ever_ want to find out what detention with him is like!”

They both whipped their heads towards the door again, as if expecting the man in question to burst in with shackles and a coil of rope. They exhaled deeply as the seconds passed and they felt secure in knowing they would be left alone. Beth spread her Arithmancy homework on the desks while Jenny looked it over. “Ah, see? Here’s where you went wrong. Eight times three is twenty-four, not twenty-seven.”

“Is that where I keep messing up?” Beth pouted.

000

“Enter.”

A stunningly statuesque woman with long, braided silver hair and impeccably dressed in a black silk skirt suit opened the door. Her red-soled heels clacked across the hardwood floor as she approached the Headmistress’s desk.

“I’m here for my ten o’clock interview, Headmistress McGonagall,” she said, waiting patiently for the offer to sit.

McGonagall, being the consummate professional, had caught her breath a split second after the woman had entered and offered a chair. “Forgive me, Miss Malfoy. I was rather taken aback. You look so different from the last time I saw you.”

The woman smiled, “Please Headmistress, do call me Danni. And yes, it is rather remarkable what a few years in exile with nothing to do but reflect upon who and what you are can accomplish.”

* * *

I don’t know why, but every time I imagine Danni Malfoy, I picture Queen Elsa from _Frozen_ post “Let It Go” with a long, loose braid of white hair and fringe. And a similar attitude as well; that “I’m Daniele Malfoy. What the fuck is it to you?” kind of attitude.


	6. Then as Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny and her friends discover it's best to pay attention in the greenhouses  
> Professor Potter re-aquatints herself with someone from her past and discovers they are not quite as different as they once believed.

Jenny was on top of the world as she sat down to lunch. Not only had she been able to help a friend, but she was starting to overcome her fear of heights. Her time on the broom ended with only one nosing into the turf and praise from Madam Hooch on her improving skills. But the thing that made Jenny happiest was Headmistress McGonagall's promise to let her continue as a girl. Granted, it came with a slight cost, but she was absolutely certain she could convince her parents about this. As Delia had said, _let them see how happy I am as a girl! I won't change back until after I get back to Liverpool._

"Ah, there is the lovely smile that brightens my otherwise dreary day," Drew sang out as he sat opposite Jenny in the Great Hall. "I was heartbroken to see you looking so sad this morning. Things going better, I take it?"

"Yes!" Jenny practically shouted. "Everything is so much better from this morning."

"Wonderful!" Drew replied. "And how is your day, Mx. Carmichael?"

"I'm doing pretty good. Got a letter from home. Mum wants to know if there is anything I want ahead of Hallowe'en for my costume."

"And?" Beth asked. "What are you going as?"

"I thought about going as Wonder Woman."

"The comic book version or the movie version?" Beth asked.

"I like the movie version better," Kell said. "So, I need some help with taking measurements, if anyone can help me?"

"I can do it," Beth volunteered. "I used to help my mum with the sewing before I came to school."

"Thanks, Beth. You're awesome!" Kell looked at Paul and Jenny. "How about you two?"

"I don't really know," Paul said. "I could go as a footballer, it would be easiest."

"Did you _wanna_ go as a footballer?" Kell asked.

"No, I really wanna be the Wolfman!" He howled softly, bringing laughter from the rest of the quintet. "y'no? Like, like Benicio del Toro or - or Jack Nicholson!"

"Well, you go to a school for magic, I'm sure there is someone around who can help you with your costume," Drew offered.

"What did you want to be, Beth," Jenny turned to her fast-becoming best friend.

"I thought about going as Sailor Mercury."

"I didn't know you liked anime," Paul said.

"I don't get to watch a lot, because I'm young," Beth explained. "But, I am allowed to watch some. So it was either Sailor Mercury or Yui Hirasawa from K-ON!. I'd need a guitar if I went as Yui though, so I think that's out this year."

"That's neat!" Paul exclaimed. "If I had known you liked anime too, we could have coordinated our costumes!"

"It's not too late," Beth said. "Give me a list of the anime you like and I will do the same and we can see if there is any we share."

"I can do it tonight," Paul said, smiling broadly.

"I don't get to watch a lot of anime, but I do read lots of manga online," Jenny said. "Mostly when my parents aren't home, though."

"Oh, ho!" Drew chuckled. "More of that Slytherin cunning. You are right at home in the dungeons, young miss. Now, what does the Esteemed Jarl of Windhelm want to be for Hallowe'en?"

"Aw, you remembered," she said, blushing a bit. "I thought about going as the Tenth Doctor."

"Doctor who?" Drew barely suppressed his laugh, but Jenny caught it.

"Ahh!" she pointed at him while laughing. "But I need to ask my mum to go buy a Sonic Screwdriver, and I'm not sure if she's willing. My family are not much for Hallowe'en."

"Or, I could ask one of my other friends to ask his older brother to ask his best mate to let me borrow one of his," Drew offered. "The man is a Whovian par excellence."

"Really?"

"Of course," Drew said, patting himself on the back. "Give us a second and I'll be right back."

Drew slid out of the bench and walked toward the head of the table. From where they sat, Paul and Kell could see Drew talking to someone else in second year. Drew stood up, nodded and flashed the thumbs up. He slid back into his seat. "It should be here shortly before Hallowe'en."

Jenny reached across the table to try and give Drew a hug, but succeeded in awkwardly grabbing his forearms instead. Blushing, she sat back down. "I'll give you a proper hug after lunch."

"And a Lady keeps her word," Drew said, smiling.

"But what about you," Beth asked Drew. "You haven't said what you're going as."

"Ah, well," Drew said conspiratorially. He leaned in, forcing the others to crowd in closer. "So, I had a thought about re-creating the look of Joey Fatone in the Backstreet Boys music video, 'Everybody'."

"Backstreet Boys?" Jenny whispered. "You listen to boy bands?"

"Some, yes." Drew simply nodded. "The beat is catchy, easy to dance to and the lyrics are not too complex. All in all, it's an enjoyable experience. Not one that should be limited to a certain segment of the population either, if you catch my meaning."

"Okay," Beth said appreciatively. "So, what does this look like?"

"Ah, well, imagine silvery scales down one half of my face, a grey silk suit with topper and gold-rimmed glasses. And the real kicker? One lizard eye, one human eye!"

"That would look wicked!" Kell exclaimed. "Could you do it with magic?"

"I think make-up is the way to go on this," Drew explained. "I'm not that great at Transfiguration, and if I messed up, well…I imagine going home would result in me inheriting all my titles and lands early." He laughed causing the others to laugh as well.

As the laughter died down, they all noticed the Headmistress stand up.

"I guess that's lunch," Drew sighed. "Second year is out for Care of Magical Creatures with Ravenclaw. What about the Firsties?"

"Herbology with Hufflepuff," Paul said.

"Ah, then we can walk out together."

They met up at the end of the table, and, as promised, Jenny hugged Drew. But rather than a polite, 'thank you' hug, this one lingered a bit as Jenny snuggled into Drew just a bit more than would be expected for a casual greeting.

"Hm-hm," Drew coughed gently. "My Lady, we have drawn an audience. What _would_ the Queen say?"

Jenny drew back instantly, blushing furiously as she seemed wont to do around the Second Year boy. "Sorry," she squeaked.

Drew smiled and offered his elbow. "Will you honour me by allowing me to escort you out of the castle, My Lady?"

"I would be delighted, My Lord," Jenny laughed. She curtsied awkwardly then looped her arm through his.

He blew a kiss as they parted company, Second Years toward Hagrid's hut, the First Years toward the greenhouses.

"You really fancy him, huh?" Beth whispered into Jenny's ear.

"Uh-huh," Jenny nodded. "I really do."

"Jenny and Andrew, sitting in a tree," Paul teased, dancing just out of reach.

000

Daniele Malfoy took some time wandering the halls of the castle she had spent so much of her formative years living in. Not much had changed, in her view. The portraits all commented on who she was as she passed, but she paid them no mind now any more than she had as a student. She was glad McGonagall had given her this chance. She wasn't hurting for funds so much as she was desperately lacking in direction and something to do – a purpose.

" _As you can see, I have become quite proficient at Transfiguration," Danni said, as she did a slight twirl for the Headmistress. "Though it took a while to get at the bits I couldn't see very well, I would like to think the end results were better than average."_

" _I am inclined to agree," McGonagall, said, sipping at a third cup of tea. "Did you do_ everything _yourself?"_

 _Danni smiled. She was glad for the Headmistress' discretion. Most that had any idea were rather…blunt in asking_ that _particular question. "As happy as I am with the results overall, I did not want to risk botching something…irreversible. It took a while and no small amount of research, but I was able to secure the services of the finest Muggle surgeon available to accomplish that task. While I am as complete as I can be, it's not perfect and likely never will be. However, I am able to function perfectly well without crippling dysphoria hobbling me at every turn."_

" _Well, I must say you have matured a great deal since you were a student here, Miss…sorry, Danni. And your mastery of Transfiguration is most impressive. I would like to extend an offer of provisional employment with Hogwarts School, beginning in October until the end of the calendar year. After that, we shall have your performance review and at that time, I will make my final judgment as to whether to bring you on full time."_

_They both stood. Danni bowed slightly and offered her hand. "I would be most honoured, Headmistress. Thank you again for agreeing to meet with me."_

" _You are most welcome, Miss Malfoy," McGonagall said, taking the hand. "Please take the time you need to reacquaint yourself with the castle and its grounds. Your new quarters will be made available before you start and you may begin moving in then."_

Danni made her way toward what would be her classroom. She heard the sounds of students inside, so only peeked in through the crack. _So, this is why McGonagall was so keen to hire me on._ The Headmistress looked rather tired and harried but carried on despite it. Danni kept walking, her heel strikes echoing forlornly through the halls. It seemed so empty and hollow without the noise and crush of so many students.

She found herself at the head of the Slytherin stairs, peering into the semi-gloom; her home for seven years. Un-happy memories flooded her mind as she recalled just how awful she had been to some of the others when they had really done nothing to her to deserve it. She had told herself - repeated it like a prayer - it was her _father's_ ideals; _his_ influence - not hers. But, in the cold light of day, _she_ was responsible for carrying those ideals into the school and giving them life. She could have chosen, at any time, to simply be nicer. Instead, she acted like the twat they all thought she was.

Well, that had changed. The little wanker she was, the brat prince she pretended to be, was gone; dead and buried symbolically next to her mother and father in the family crypt. Draco Malfoy was no more and Danielle Malfoy had been born to take his place.

The sound of another pair of heels snapped her out of her reverie. It looked to be another teacher. Not as fashionably dressed, of course – that little bit of snobbery would never truly die. She held onto that bit as a way of distinguishing herself from others – but she could see that the other woman put a fair amount of thought into her appearance. _Wow! She's a looker._ As the other professor came into view, details became clearer. Thick, long reddish-brown hair and gold-rimmed glasses. The eyes! _Those green eyes_! Danni knew those eyes almost better than she knew the back of her own hand. A quick glance to the hairline. Skillfully hidden under bangs and make-up, but still faintly visible, if one knew what they were looking for; the lightning bolt scar. _Harry bollocking Potter!_ Except, this was a woman approaching. Was he – she! – like Danni, perhaps?

"Hello," the other woman said pleasantly as she stopped. She smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Professor Potter. And you are?"

"Danni," she choked out. She took the hand and shook it gently. "Professor Danielle Mal…Malfoy, soon to be Transfiguration teacher."

Professor Potter opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "I… I kind of guessed," she stammered eventually. "The hair, I mean. It looks very much like a former classmate of mine had. Are you related to him? Draco Malfoy?"

There they were. Potter and Malfoy, stood staring at each other across the distance of a couple of flagstones, a dozen or more years and lifetimes worth of experience and yet the same in many ways.

"I, uh…" Danni tried to gain her thoughts, but her brain betrayed her. "I was…"

Harley looked closely at the statuesque woman in front of her. That she was beautiful, there could be no doubt. The pale skin, slender build and that gorgeous silver hair loosely braided to her waist. But the eyes…those pale silver-blue eyes. The steel in them. The faded malice…

"Malfoy?!" she hissed.

"Potter," Danni sighed in resignation.

"When…how…by the Powers!"

"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" Danni asked insistently. "I would rather not involve the whole bloody school, if you're okay with that."

"I have classes right now," Harley replied.

"I can wait." Danni offered.

"Do you remember where the Charms classroom is?" Harley asked.

"I do."

"Meet me there at the end of the day."

Danni nodded then took her leave toward the Teacher's Lounge.

000

"I hate that bloody plant!" Beth shouted as they walked toward the castle. Jenny, Kell and Paul all had to cover their ears as Beth's shriek reverberated across the valley. "Who the hell thinks it's a fantastic idea to let kids play around with a sodding mandrake root!"

The other three shared a look and a quiet laugh. "At least it didn't kill you," Paul said.

"That's not the point!" Beth rounded on the others. "It's that it COULD!"

"She has a point," Kell said. "If we didn't have our earmuffs on…"

Jenny shivered. She had just come to realise she was a girl. She had every intention of living to a ripe old age as one. "Well, next class is something called nightshade," she said. "That doesn't sound dangerous…"

Beth glared at Jenny. "No, it's worse!"

"Only if you eat it," Kell reminded everyone. "Just remember to always wear your gloves when handling it and never touch your mouth after."

"How do you know about all this?" Paul asked as Beth continued to fume in anger.

"My mum's a witch," Kell said. "Although she says magic in Africa works differently than here. Apparently, Anasa'i magic doesn't need a wand, but works differently, or something. But lots of potions and other plant kinda stuff. And vision quests."

"Is that why you can see the future?" Jenny asked.

"It's not the future as much as I can feel when things aren't like they're supposed be," Kell shrugged their shoulders. "Like you can tell winter is coming. You just know it in your bones. It's finding your place in the universe. That's a vision quest. Who you are and what you can be."

"Like how you're not a boy or a girl?" Paul asked.

"Yes!" Kell said. "Before I got my letter to Hogwarts, I had a short vision and that's how I knew and also how I knew my parents would be okay with it."

"Lucky…" Jenny muttered under her breath. She glanced around, but it seemed as though neither Paul nor Beth had heard as Paul followed Beth and was busy trying to talk her down from a towering rage.

Kell smiled at Jenny. "I think you'll be okay."

"Did you have a vision about me?"

Kell shook her head. "Nah, but you're smart and stubborn. You'll find a way to be yourself."

"Yeah," Jenny sighed. "Even if I only get to be a girl here, it's better than nothing."

"Yes, so enjoy what you do have," Kell said, wrapping their arm over Jenny's shoulder. "Come on. We have Charms next."

"Ooh, yes!" Jenny laughed. "Oi! You two!" She shouted over at Beth and Paul. "Come on! We don't wanna be late for Charms!"

Paul must have been successful because Beth ran right over, a bright smile on her face.

"Well, you calmed down quick," Kell noted.

"It's how I've always been, I guess." Beth shrugged. "I always had a fast temper, but it was over fast too, so …yeah."

000

Charms class had the students learning the Sonorous charm. It should have been a tip-off when Professor Potter started passing around ear-plugs that things were about to get loud again. The Slytherins were just recovering their hearing from the screaming mandrake roots they had transplanted.

"Okay, everyone. Put your plugs in," Professor Potter said as she demonstrated how. Now almost deaf, no one could actually hear what was going on, so the magic chalk came out and all eyes followed the directions as they wrote out on the board. Now, Professor Potter demonstrated the wand motion – simply hold the tip to the throat and mutter 'sonorous' and that was the spell. Easy.

Except some kids got carried away and – unaccustomed to being suddenly so hard of hearing - inadvertently shouted 'sonorous' causing the room to vibrate with their voices. Dust fell from the ceiling and landed on Professor Potter's head and she ended up spending the next few minutes shaking dust and plaster bits out of her hair.

After another few minutes trying to gain everyone's attention, new directions were written across the board. In big, bold block letters **WHISPER!**

The next attempt was so much better. While loud, at least chunks of masonry were not falling on peoples' heads. _I think I should have done this class on the Quidditch pitch. Good to know for next year._

The end of class saw a somewhat dazed, but overall happy, Professor Potter shaking the last bits of dust and plaster off her clothes. She sent the Slytherins on down to the dungeons for their last class of the day with Slughorn. She straightened up her dress and robes, set her glasses back on her nose and walked out into the hallway. She immediately met the gaze of one Danielle Malfoy, soon-to-be Transfiguration teacher.

"Professor," Malfoy greeted with a friendly smile.

Harley gathered her wits. _No good comes of holding a grudge. The war is over._ She smiled in return. "Professor. Shall we head to the Room of Requirement?"

Danni's face fell. "You don't think the Fiendfyre is still burning in there do you?" she hissed.

"Ah….hmm. You're right. But it's been years, though," Harley said.

"Fiendfyre is not _normal_ fire, remember?" Danni reminded. "It has to be dispelled."

"It could have dispelled itself by now…?" Harley offered, quite unsure of the actual truth. "Run out of things to burn…? Or the castle dispelled it…"

"And if not…" Danni asked. The implications were too horrible to contemplate if the Fiendfyre got loose.

Harley thought about that for a moment before speaking. "I have an idea. If we ask for a place to sit and chat comfortably instead of the Room of Hidden Things, we might be able to risk it."

"You don't sound sure of that," Danni replied. "Crabbe may have set it loose in there, but he was never the brightest bulb in the box, so who knows which version he used or how powerful it was…"

"Well, the castle is still standing, so obviously whatever damage the Fiendfyre did was contained or erased…" Harley suggested. "We can try this. We ask for a place to chat, but before we open the door, we feel it. If it's warm to the touch, we dispel the Room and find an unused classroom."

Danni worried her lip, but consented nonetheless. She followed Harley up to the unused Seventh Floor corridor. "Oh, goddess," Danni kvetched. "I should _not_ have worn the Louboutins today." She pointed at the shoes in question.

Harley noted the height they conferred but agreed they did not look comfortable. "Take them off then," she offered.

"Fashion is pain, darling," Danni grimaced. "But, yeah. I've learned my lesson about that. These stay in the cubby for special events only." They walked in silence for a bit longer. "I noticed earlier that they finally got rid of the Weasley Twins' swamp," Danni quipped.

"Oh. So they did," Harley noted. "Professor Flitwick wanted to leave it, thinking it was a good bit of magic."

"Are you still…" Danni drifted off, trying to find the least offensive word she knew.

"Friends?" Harley filled in. "You could say that. I still visit with the entire clan once in a while and I am invited round to Ron and Hermione's place for Christmas."

"And the joke shop they started," Danni asked. "Is it still a going concern?"

"They had to open a second store in Hogsmeade," Harley replied with a smile. "They're doing so well, they ran out of space in the Diagon Alley location. They can't keep enough stock on the floor before it sells out. I heard they even went online."

"Good for them," Danni actually meant it. "I'm glad things are going well…all things considered…"

Fred's death and George's disfigurement were left unsaid.

"I am very happy for you, too. Yes. I'm glad they accept you for who you are," Danni sighed. "I had hoped for the same, but…well, old wizarding family traditions and stigmas die very hard, it seems."

They reached the blank spot of wall where the Room of Requirement usually manifested. Harley turned to Danni. "You ready?"

"To die horribly? no. But to chat quietly, I am as ready as I think I'll ever be."

"Here goes nothing," Harley said. She placed her hand on the wall. "We need a private place to chat."

Nothing happened. The two women stared at the wall expecting…something.

Eventually, a door formed. Harley placed her palm on it. "It's cool. Wish me luck?"

"You have it."

She gingerly opened the door a crack, eyes closed, expecting to be incinerated in an instant. Nothing happened except the creaking of door hinges too long unused. She opened her eyes slowly. Still nothing happened. She pushed the door open and looked in. Danni took a chance and looked over Harley's shoulder. Inside they saw a cozy space, a table and two plush chairs. Somewhere, calming music was floating through the air. They looked at each other, shrugged and stepped in.

"Well, we're still alive," Harley giggled. "Do you suppose –"

Danni clapped her hand over Harley's mouth. "Don't. Say. Anything. The Room may think you're looking for it and poof. We're crispy critters."

Harley nodded and Danni took her hand away. "Thanks," Harley said, wiping a bead of sweat off her brow. "Shall we?"

Danni gestured at the table. "After you."

Harley put a hand on her hip. "Okay, if we have to negotiate the terms of the negotiation, we're not going to get anywhere." She pointed at the furthest chair. "I'll sit there, you sit here. Agreed?"

Danni dipped her head and gracefully slid into the chair. She noted with satisfaction that at least Harley didn't simply fall into her chair and actually had some coordination about her.

"Now, since I asked you here, I guess it's polite that I begin by explaining why I look as I do now," Danni began, slipping her shoes off as she did. "Although, I suspect you probably already know the basic reasons."

"Is it because you're trans, also?" Harley asked. "I don't think you'd go through all the trouble of looking that…fantastic on a whim."

Danni blushed and smiled. "Thank you for the compliment," she purred. "Yes. I had a glimmer of recognition as a young child, but Father simply wouldn't hear of it." She looked sad and a little pained. "I was the only son and heir to the Malfoy name and I had to see it carried on. And, as Father went, so did Mother. As you might imagine, Malfoy Manor was not the most loving of homes."

"They would have got on splendidly with my aunt and uncle," Harley said with a rueful chuckle. "They didn't like anything out of the ordinary, but a wizard who knew she was a witch was about as far out as it got."

They shared a laugh. "All this time, we seemed to have shared much in common," Danni sighed. "I … this is hard, but it must be done. I want to apologize to you, Pott – sorry, Professor Potter. I was an absolute git to you from the off and I have no excuse for that."

Harley sat stunned. The Draco Malfoy she knew would sooner have set his hair on fire than admit to wrong-doing. "I guess if we're going to be working together, please call me Harley. I – I'm not sure if I can forgive you everything, but I can start."

"That's far more than I ever expected or could have hoped," Danni said. "By all rights, you could have drawn your wand and hexed the living daylights out of me and I would have deserved every bit of it. And, since it's looking to be first name basis, please call me Danni."

"I learned after the war it does no one any good to hold a grudge. I figured you've paid enough penance and suffered enough to have learned your lesson. After all, here we sit in comfy chairs having polite conversation."

"It took losing Father to Azkaban before I really took a hard look at who I was, and who I was told I _must_ be," Danni said sadly. "The last thing he did before sentencing, the only truly noble thing he ever did, was disavow Mother or I had anything to do with He Who Shall… ah, bugger that. He's dead. Voldemort." The involuntary shudder suggested she was still not quite past it, but getting there. "Father took all the responsibility upon his shoulders. And for that, he paid the ultimate price."

Harley could see the tears glistening in Danni's eyes. She waited patiently for her to gather her wits. "You mean…?"

Danni nodded slowly. The tears now ran down her face. "It seems silly to cry over a man who cared more for prestige and family honour than his own child, but he was still my father and I guess I did love him; in a way."

"You had your parents," Harley said a hint of bitterness creeping in. "And at least you had their attention, if not their affections, so I can understand the tears."

Danni sniffed a bit before daubing at her tears on a dainty lace kerchief. _God, she even cries in high-class style_. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would affect me so, but even now I still think about it. When they took him away after the final sentencing, he told us not to visit him, or to witness the execution. He wanted Mother and me to remember him as he was; still human, my father. So, I honoured that last wish and never went to Azkaban. The funeral was at the manor. I had him cremated and the urn placed in the vaults."

Surprising herself, Harley had made her way behind Danni and had wrapped her arms around Danni's shoulders. She could feel the other woman tense, unsure, and unfamiliar with this gesture, but made no move to extricate herself. They waited each other out, Harley letting Danni work out her pain and Danni letting Harley hold her.

"Mother passed a year or so later," Danni continued. "She simply lost the will to live. After everything that had happened, the way the Dark Lord had imposed himself upon us, I can't really blame her for that. You know, I still have nightmares and I rarely sleep soundly or through the night. I'm still listening for him or that wretched snake to come slithering into my room and whisper his commands into my ear in the dark hours of the night."

Harley squeezed a bit. Danni blushed, feeling Harley's breath on her neck felt nice, comforting. Oh, how she had missed simple human contact.

"As the last living Malfoy heir, all the remaining estates, monies, and properties fell into my hands. I sold what I could, shuttered the manor and took a small cottage on the Isle of Wight. My wife…er, ex-wife, I guess now, took our son, Scorpius, and returned to her family."

Harley let go and returned to her chair. "Do you miss them? Your wife and son?"

"I think fondly about them and I do miss them. Mother never really approved of who I wanted to marry, but relented in the face of my resolve and arranged it shortly before her passing. I think the only reason she did relent was that the Greengrass family are pureblood Bah!." Danni harrumphed then calmed herself. "Astoria, my ex, knows I am trans. I never really kept that a secret from her. We simply dissolved the marriage, I returned the dowry and we parted amicably. We see each other at the holidays and summers, so I am still involved in my son's life, just not as his father." She sighed deeply and looked over at Harley. "I am so sorry. Here we came to talk to each other and I have simply dominated the conversation."

Harley only smiled and shook her head, "Sounded like you needed to get that off your chest. I was happy to listen. I guess you aren't the two-dimensional caricature I took you for, and I am sorry for that."

Danni waved it off. "Don't be," she laughed. "I acted like a cartoon villain and all but twirled my mustaches. It's almost like I was the bad guy in a children's' story."

They shared in another laugh before Danni looked expectantly at Harley. "So, what about you? When did you know?"

"I was young, same as you; around five or six," Harley began. "Looking back, that's when the troubles really began."

"Troubles?"

"Yeah. I had just started noticing the difference between boys and girls. So one day, I come back in the house from weeding Aunt Petunia's rose garden and I said something like 'I'm a girl,' It's hard to remember the exact words, but yeah. Well, I was locked into the cupboard and not let out for two days."

"Your aunt _locked_ you into a cupboard!? **For two days!?** "

"No, not Aunt Petunia, it was Uncle Vernon. He was the disciplinarian. Aunt Petunia just stood by and let it happen. When I was finally let out, Uncle Vernon and my cousin Dudley tried to 'beat the poof out of me'. Those words I do remember."

Danni was horrified. She understood cruelty, but it was simply outside her understanding that family could do that to itself.

"That's also when, looking back, my accidental magic started kicking in. I would be punished for this or that – burning breakfast, say, or not letting Dudley thrash me good – that things started happening. I would end up on the roof of the school trying to hide from Dudley and his acolytes. My Aunt would shear my head bald because she knew it hurt me inside. But the next day, my hair was all grown back, sometimes even longer than before she cut it. Back into the cupboard. The longest I spent in there was a week."

"How are these people not in prison right now?"

"Dumbledore let it happen," Harley shrugged.

"Dumbledore? I thought you were his favourite."

"No, just the most easily manipulated. I can see that now, too. He was the one who sent me to my relatives after Voldemort killed mum and dad and Dumbledore was the one who made sure they were able to get away with it." Now it was Harley's turn to cry. "They were supposed to protect me and …and…"

Not sure what to do, Danni simply did as Harley had done for her. She walked over, pulled Harley to her feet and held her. Oh, how her heart broke. The pain and suffering this girl went through. And she thought it was fun sport to mock her and try to make her life miserable for six years. What Voldemort had done was sharp, but short. She survived just a few years of his tyranny. Harley had endured almost two decades.

"Shhhh. No one's going to hurt you anymore." Danni whispered into Harley's ear as she stroked her hair. "You are safe now."

Harley clung harder as the tears raged. Danni knew the suit would be a write off from the tear and snot staining, but whatever. It was replaceable. The fragile human being in her arms was not. Without even voicing it, a couch materialised next to the table and Danni gently settled the pair of them into it.

000

It was another long double Potions period before the Fabulous Foursome, as they were starting to be known, made their way out of Slughorn's class and into the Slytherin Common Room.

"Bleah," Beth huffed as she fell onto a couch. Paul lifted her legs and sat down, letting Beth rest her legs in his lap. Kell and Jenny sank onto a cushion on the floor.

"I smell awful," Beth whined. "What the hell did Slughorn have us try and make?"

"I don't know," Paul replied. "I lost track in between the start of the instructions and him rambling on about some Quidditch star he hung out with a million years ago. Whatever I ended up making…" he shuddered.

"I'm gonna take a bath," Beth said, gently climbing off Paul's lap.

"Me too," Paul said as he stood.

Jenny and Kell looked at each other. "Best of three?" Kell held their fist in the air.

"You win," Jenny sighed, not even bothering to play. She watched Kell get to their feet then go down their hall.

* * *

Okay, I freely admit the scene with Harley and Danni was pretty much a [Draco in Leather Pants](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DracoInLeatherPants). I can do whatever the fuck I want to a character that was, for all intents and purposes, a two-dimensional cartoon villain in a children's story. When you get right down to it, all Draco did in-universe was schoolyard bully shit. Ne never actively harmed nor killed anyone, just made his targets feel miserable on occasion – the same kids who just as often got their own back on him. While I can't and don't condone that kind of behaviour, he was not the sort to tie women to railroad tracks or blow up a house because someone dissed his hairstyle…  
I was a total yutz as a kid before I figured out I was trans and so were a few other trans-women I knew over the years.

On a semi-related note, I think I am going to spin their yarn into a separate story, so I don't take the spotlight off my main characters.


	7. Laugh With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny's circle of allies expands as Professors Potter and Malfoy discuss the past and where the future lay.

Finally scrubbed, Jenny climbed into her bed where Neko waited. "Hello, puss." She scratched the cat's back and gently smoothed her tail.

"Were you able follow along with what Slughorn was talking about?" Kell called over.

"I think so?" Jenny turned her attentions to the rapidly filling notebook, trying to piece together the actual lesson while filtering out the fluff. It had taken two classes before she figured out to use a second notebook to 'sift' the useful notes out of the crap. She then charmed away the in-class rubbish, leaving clean, fresh pages. "Here, this is what I've transcribed so far," she said, handing the 'clean' notes to Kell.

"Thanks," Kell said. "Did you want to compare it to the copy Delia gave us at the start of term?"

"I will later," Jenny replied. She turned her attention back to Neko. The cat had rolled onto her back and was purring loudly. "I've never seen a cat do this."

"I don't think it's a housecat," Kell called over. "Well, not like a Muggle housecat. Wizarding pets are magical in their own way. This one knows you and trusts you won't hurt her."

"Huh. I guess that's alright then. When I saw her at the shop, she started pawing at her cage, like she wanted out right then."

"I figured," Kell said. "People may choose their dogs, but cats chose their people."

Silence as Jenny played with Neko and Kell copied the notes.

"Neko is really smart, too," Kell continued. "She showed me the letter your parents wrote. It was almost like it was on purpose."

Jenny looked at Neko. The cat was now lying on her side, looking back at Jenny. "Did you show Kell the letter?" _That's a stupid thing to ask. It's a cat. They wouldn't understand things like that. Probably…_

Neko meowed and lay her head back down and closed her eyes.

"We'd better get dressed. Supper is going to be served soon," Kell called over. "Is it okay if I borrow your notes for a while so I can copy them?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Jenny spared one more curious look at Neko before slipping her skirt back on.

000

The awaited day arrived. Jenny and Kell couldn't sleep for the excitement. In a few short hours, the most exciting holiday of her short life would begin in earnest.

"How come your parents don't like Hallowe'en?" Kell asked as they lay in the pre-dawn darkness. "Were they afraid of you wanting to be something they didn't like?"

"No," Jenny replied. "It was that mum thought Hallowe'en was, and I quote, 'an excuse for hooligans to run amok and cause trouble,' end quote." She and Kell both laughed. "And now, my first Hallowe'en and I want to dress up like a guy."

"Well, just think about it like that," Kell said. "You _want_ to dress up _like_ a guy, not _forced_ to dress _as_ a guy."

"Hey. You're right," Jenny said as it dawned on her. "It was _my_ choice to dress as The Doctor. Okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The silence stretched for a while longer. "I can't sleep anymore," Kell said.

"Me either. Want to shower first?"

"Nah, you go ahead. I need to finish wrapping my lasso."

"Okay."

000

"Doctor, good morning," lizard man Drew called out as the Slytherins started congregating in the Common Room. "I have a few things for you." He produced the promised Sonic Screwdriver. "Here, you press this little button, and it makes the noise."

Jenny laughed in undisguised glee at the buzzing. She thumbed the slider, extending the tip outward.

"And, I have your psychic paper," he produced what looked like a leather billfold. Jenny opened it and saw a moving photo of herself as the Doctor. "You should always have your ID."

"How did you get this picture?" Jenny said, still awed at the likeness. "I've never dressed like this before in my life."

"I have my sources, but I snatched a copy of our class photo, had your image blown up and then enchanted the image to make you look like Tennant." Drew held up a small tube of hair gel. "And to get your hair all modern and sticky-uppy, a bit of hair goop."

They spent a few minutes while Drew got her hair styled up, drawing a few forelocks down into sideburns.

"And here. We….go!" Drew held out a mirror to allow Jenny to admire his handiwork.

"Brilliant, mate!" she squealed and tried to throw her arms around Drew.

"Careful, the make-up!" he said, catching her in time. "This is Muggle stage make-up. It's good stuff, but will get ruined if messed with."

"Sorry," Jenny giggled as she withdrew slightly. "I got carried away."

"I am pretty awesome when you get down to it, so that's understandable." He winked at her and her heart melted.

Jenny sighed. This was the most fun she could ever remember having, even the match against Manchester United paled in comparison.

"The photo ID you can keep, but please be careful with the Sonic," Drew cautioned. "It belongs to a Muggle mate of my friend's older brother. So it has to go back in the same condition I got it. Okay?"

"I promise to be as careful as I can," Jenny swore. "Thank you for doing this for me."

"Anything for you, My Lady," He took her hand and brushed her knuckles against his lips again. Her heart stopped for a brief moment.

000

"I would have expected you to go as Batgirl or some other hero," Danni quipped as she took in the tight leather skinsuit Harley wore. "Cat-woman is more of an anti-hero, isn't she?" She appraised Harley approvingly. "Will you be okay in those boots? I can't imagine you strutting about in those stilettos _all_ day."

Harley smirked at Danni. "My superhero days are long since come and gone. It's time to indulge a bit of my dark and dangerous femininity. As for the boots, it's a glamour spell. They only _look_ like stilettos, but are actually flat-heeled."

"That's pretty clever," Danni said. "Could you teach me that spell? I could have used it a few weeks ago."

"Sure," Harley said. "And now what about you? I didn't expect you to even _know_ about costumed heroes, let alone villains. The Harley Quinn look suits you. In fact, it's kinda scary how _well_ it suits you…"

Indeed, Danni had pulled her hair into two low ponytails, enchanted one to blue, the other to red. Her outfit, while nothing scandalous like the 'Suicide Squad' street-walker mess, was quite unique. She had chosen a halter-top, right side black, the left side red, matching leggings in reverse and reversed again for the trainers and fingerless gloves. "That's the thing about exile. You have nothing but time on your hands, so I started reading books, then watching television, then going to the cinema. Sooner or later you absorb a bit of the 'local flavour'." She air-quoted the words. She nodded in the direction of the Great Hall. "Shall we make our introductions?"

Harley Cat-woman smiled. "After you, Miss Quinn."

"Thank you, Miss Kyle," Danni Harley Quinn demurred.

000

The Entrance Hall had been turned into an impromptu dance stage as Drew the lizard man, another Second Year dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, a third as the Mummy, another as a Dracula knockoff and the final member, the Wolfman that Paul had considered dressing as, danced to a radio enchanted to blast the chosen song across the area.

A couple of renditions had most of the students either dancing, singing or clapping along as the surprisingly well-choreographed quintet made their way up and down the Hall. The final strains of 'Everybody' reverberated to an uproar of applause. They were carried bodily into the Great Hall and deposited at their table. The adulation lasted just long enough for Headmistress McGonagall to smile proudly at her students from the lectern. To no-one's surprise, she seemed to be the only teacher not in costume until she shed her cloak revealing what several knew to be the Science Officer's uniform of Star Fleet, circa The Original Series. She held up her hand, spread her fingers in a rough approximation of the Vulcan greeting and said, "Live Long and Prosper, students!"

Another round of applause went up as the remote seeming Headmistress was revealed to enjoy a bit of chicanery like the rest.

"Everyone, I am pleased to announce that Hogwarts has at last hired a new Transfiguration teacher," McGonagall said, turning to face the Teacher's Table. "Please welcome Professor Danielle Malfoy."

A few whispers and murmurs went up among the students along with some polite applause.

"That's you, Harley Quinn," Harley Potter leaned over to whisper.

Danni glared at her playfully. "I am quite aware of that, Selena Kyle," she hissed back. She stood and waved at the assembled students. As she was about to sit back down, McGonagall waved her up to the lectern. Wide eyed and unsure what to do, especially dressed as a cartoon villain – exactly as she described herself to Potter not a few weeks prior – she reluctantly approached the Headmistress.

McGonagall stepped aside and left Danni by herself. Thinking quickly, she cleared her throat, held her wand to her throat, whispered the 'Sonorous' charm and spoke.

"Greetings, Hogwarts students and staff. Let me assure you I am, in fact, Danielle Malfoy, not Harley Quinn." A smattering of laughs. "I shall be assuming the duties of Professor of Transfiguration from Headmistress McGonagall starting today. I look forward to working with all of you."

She bowed slightly and returned to her seat. She sighed. "That went as well as could be expected," she muttered to herself.

Harley leaned in. "I think she wanted to see how you handled yourself in front of a large crowd," she whispered.

"Did she pull that with you?" Danni whispered back.

"Nope, just you."

Danni groaned and felt like she wanted to disappear – or at least turn invisible. Wished she could actually Apparate away, but, the Hogwarts wards notwithstanding, her Apparation license was still suspended until the end of the year. "Oh, by the goddess I hope this is as bad as it gets."

"You'll be fine," Harley reassured her. The gentle brush of the hand on her arm felt nice to Danni.

000

Professor "Harley Quinn" Malfoy stood at the head of the room, watching the students file in. First Year Slytherin and Gryffindor. She smiled to herself as she thought back to her first year as a student. Then her memories turned sour as she remembered the awful things she had said, especially toward Granger. She shook her head gently. _Draco is gone, he can't do anything anymore. Today is a new day._

As soon as everyone had taken their seats, the chalkboard revealed the day's lesson. "Today," Professor Malfoy announced, "we are going to continue transfiguring a thimble into a teacup. I trust the Headmistress gave you the instructions and got you started, so let's see where everyone is and we may go from there." She gazed around the room. "Potter!" she barked loudly. The boy in question turned to face the front of the class just as the thrown chalk eraser connected with his forehead. "In my class, I expect you to pay attention, not pass notes to your friends! If I catch you again, I will have you up for detention. Is that clear, mister?"

"Yes Professor," the black-haired boy said, rubbing the sore spot between his eyes before pushing his glasses up his nose.

Professor Malfoy smiled. "Good, now we can begin. Transfiguration is a craft that demands the utmost concentration and focus. Any mishaps can have disastrous consequences. Now then, let us see where you all are."

As she both expected and feared, the first years were not terribly adept at the spell, with variations from simply enlarging the thimble to 'what the hell is this, modern art?' She took a deep breath. _Well, they_ are _still learning and I'm supposed to help them._ She clapped her hands a few times to gain everyone's attention. "Okay, the key to Transfiguration is you have to visualise what you want to make. The shape of it, the feel of it. Know it in your mind's eye." She tapped a finger to her temple. "Get a really good mental picture of what you want, and _then_ you cast your spell. If it helps, I have a tray of cups and mugs at my desk for reference."

Danni had ample experience with that trick. She knew who and what she was, she had had to visualise it herself. The woman she wanted to be; not the awkward, skinny boy in a dress, but the woman she knew herself to be.

As class wound down, Danni was pleased to note that at least some of her students had taken her lesson to heart. The rate of success had improved dramatically. _Good._

"Alright. Your homework for the next week is to practice this spell. By next class, you should all be able to make a decent teacup," She called as the children gathered their things for the next class.

000

"She's really nice," Beth said as they made their way out of the room. "Well, when she's not throwing things at the class."

"Yeah, but that Potter kid is always doing stuff like that," Paul noted. "It's a wonder McGonagall never caught him."

"I wonder how she got her hair white like that," Jenny added.

"She looks like a Targaryen," Paul said. "You, know from Game of Thrones?"

"I'm not allowed to watch that," Jenny said. "Mum thinks it's too violent."

"It's scary," Beth stuck her tongue out. "All that blood and monsters, bleah."

"It's a good thing we don't have monsters like that in the real world," Kell shuddered.

"You know what?" Beth turned to her friends. "I think she looks like Queen Elsa! I bet she can do snow magic and everything!"

"You think so?" Jenny asked.

"If we asked her, she might," Beth offered.

They all laughed as they made their way toward Arithmancy.

"Well? How did I do my first day?" Danni called toward her office. McGonagall stepped out and walked over.

"I must congratulate you, Professor Malfoy. You really do have a way of making others see what you see."

"Years of practice, I suppose," Danni said. "And it really did help to get that picture in my head."

"Well, I can see the children are in good hands, Professor," McGonagall tipped her hat at Danni. "Although, I highly recommend you find another method of gaining the attentions of any misbehaving children." McGonagall cocked an eyebrow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must see to my school duties. Good day."

"Thank you Headmistress," Danni bowed slightly as McGonagall left the room. She sat on the corner of her desk and reviewed the lesson as it appeared on the board. She frowned, summoned back the eraser, removed what McGonagall had written and re-did the lesson. As she finished, a Patronus in the shape of a doe flew in through an upper window and landed in the middle of the room.

"Hey, got a sec?" Danni was surprised to hear Potter's voice come out of the ethereal doe.

"I have third years in a couple minutes, but yeah. What's on your mind?"

"May I invite you to my office after classes? I want to discuss a few things about one of my students."

"Nothing bad?"

"Oh, no. I just wanted your opinion on something."

"Okay. During or after supper?"

"I'll have supper brought to my office. Anything you want?"

"I have been really craving a Muggle pizza," Danni surprised herself at the admission. During her exile, she had immersed herself into the Muggle world far more than her father would have deemed seemly. One of her newest peccadilloes was rich, decadent food. "Lots of cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms."

The doe Patronus laughed. _Gods, was her laugh always that infectious?_ "I'll see what I can arrange. Oop, my next class is here. See you at six?"

"It's a date," Danni clapped her hand over her mouth as the Patronus dissipated. _Why the hell did I use that word specifically?!_ Well, no matter. Her next class was due any time and she needed to be in top form.

000

Ever the stickler for punctuality, Danni stood just outside the Charms classroom as the bell in the clock tower chimed for supper. She pushed the door open with a knock. "Harley? You in here?"

"In my office," Harley called out. "Come on in."

Danni made her way across the room. She knocked on the jamb as the smell of pizza filled her nose. "Mmmm. You managed to get one."

"I can't guarantee how good it is," Harley said, holding out a chair for Danni to sit. Harley missed the eyebrow as it made its way into Danni's hairline. She shrugged and sat down. Harley tried valiantly to shove the chair back to the table, but managed only a few centimetres before giving up with a mumbled apology. "Anyway, the kitchen elves had to recreate it from my memory and I haven't really indulged since I was a kid and nicked a slice from Dudley when he wasn't looking."

"I'm sure it will be lovely, Harley. Thank you for at least trying." She picked up a slice and tried it. While a bit heavy on the sauce and breakfast sausage had been substituted for the pepperoni, it was still delicious. "It's perfect," she said.

They ate in silence for a while before Harley remembered she had invited Danielle to her office. "So, I wanted to talk to you about a First Year in my Charms class who wants to transition and has been asking for my help."

"Okay, lay it on me."

"I hope you understand I can't tell you who it is without her permission."

"Naturally," Danni nodded. "Outing someone without their permission is a big no-no." Then she snorted. "I _never_ seem to have that problem. Everyone already guesses I must be a Malfoy."

"Well, to be fair, your hair is a bit of a give-away," Harley pointed out.

Danni playfully wrapped her hair into a loose bun on her head. "Are you suggesting I should change it?"

"I wouldn't if I had hair like that," Harley quipped, playing with a thick, auburn lock of her own.

"It is quite striking, isn't it?" Danni winked and Harley blushed. "Anyway, this Firstie you have in class. I'm guessing a trans-girl by your use of 'her' just now?"

"Yes," Harley said, recovering from the wink. "Now, to save us all a lot of headaches, do I have your permission to tell her about you?"

"Why not just handle it yourself?" Danni asked; eyebrow cocked in slight confusion.

"Because her parents – or at least her mum – essentially forbade me from talking to her about transitioning."

Danni sat and mulled it over for a bit, and then a smile crept across her features. "You little sneak! You want to help this girl _and_ do an end-run around the prohibition by draughting me into it. That's a very Slytherin stunt to pull."

Harley hid her eyes under her fringe. "The Hat _did_ offer to put me in Slytherin my First Year," she admitted. "Then I remembered our first meeting at Madam Malkin's and saw you Sorted into Slytherin…" Harley fell silent.

"So you essentially _told_ the Hat where to put you," Danni finished. "Gods, I was such a twat as a little boy, wasn't I." She snorted again. "It makes me want to not forgive _myself_ , even."

They chuckled a bit. "It was also something Hagrid told me in Diagon Alley as we went shopping for all my new wizarding kit," Harley resumed. "He said 'ain't a witch or wizard went Dark as didn't come from Slytherin'. Something like that. So I was already primed to not like Slytherin."

"And, coming as you did from a forbidding Muggle household, you could only believe what you heard," Danni surmised. "I can see how that might have…coloured your view of Slytherins."

"I have a sinking suspicion it was something Dumbledore told Hagrid to say," Harry muttered darkly. "Wanted to manipulate me before I could even get my head wrapped around what the hell was going on."

"It's over and done," Danni waved off. "But, if you want, we can have a wazz on his grave. I'll even help you."

Harley laughed out loud at that. "I can't believe you even suggested that," she marveled. "I would have thought all your proper high-born manners would preclude that."

" _Draco_ Malfoy would never have said that," Danni corrected. "But, he's gone. Hello. My name is _Danielle_ Malfoy, student of the world. Pleasure to meet you."

Harley stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, that's very mature," Danni shot back. "How old are you again?"

"Some days I feel like I'm a hundred," Harley giggled. "Other days, I'm a kid in adult clothes."

Danni shook her head. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Danni cleared her throat. "Go ahead and let her know, this student of yours. You have my permission to tell her who I am and who I was. Tell her she can come to me for help and that I will do as much as I can without breaking any _more_ laws."

"It wasn't your fault – " Harley stopped as Danni put her hand up.

"No, it _was_ my fault to a degree," she sighed. "I may not have done the actual deed, but fear made me silent and my silence made me complicit."

"It's perfectly understandable to be afraid, especially with someone like Voldemort slithering about in the dark."

Danni smiled darkly at the apt metaphor. "I stood back and did nothing," she went on. "While others swallowed their fears and stood up to Voldemort, I did nothing but cling to Mother's proverbial apron strings."

Harley leaned forward and placed a hand on hers. "Hey. Don't beat yourself up over this. Living in the past only brings pain. If all you ever think about is 'should have, could have, would have', you can't move on with your life." She then appraised Danni quite thoroughly. "I presume your transition was part of that moving on?"

Danni laughed in spite of herself. "Why didn't you become a therapist? You have the right attitude for it."

Harley smiled and sat back in her chair. "Nah. I have enough problems with my own daemons. I don't need that shite from others."

"Okay," Danni said. "I will take your advice. Draco never was. He was a false front I lived behind, but wasn't the real me."

Harley sat back and chewed in thought for a bit. "Was it really necessary to bean my son in the forehead with an eraser?"

"Heard about that, did you?" Danni said, completely unrepentant. "It got everyone's attention and now I shouldn't have to worry too much about discipline in my class for a while."

Harley gave a long suffering sigh. "His mother and I have been back and forth over this for years. He's too much like his grandfather and his uncles."

"And his mothers," Danni added, earning a scowl from Harley. "Don't give me that look. You and Ginny were no better than the Twins during school and you _know_ it. I freely acknowledge that I was a git."

"I…" Harley trailed off as the blush settled in. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's not my place to tell you how to do your job."

Danni smiled and offered her hand. "Now we can be friends."

"Good, now before the rest of this pizza gets cold," Harley helped herself to another slice. "And thank you for helping with this. I mean it."

Danni shook her head as she chewed. She swallowed her bite and said, "Don't mention it. It's all part of my 'moving on' as you call it. Think more about others and less about myself." She grinned with smug self-satisfaction. "Exceptforthatlastslicedibs!"

"Damn it!" Harley hissed. "Too slow!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went with Harley as Catwoman with the intention of showing that Harley has moved past the image of the goody-two-shoes hero who will always swoop in and save the day simply because it was expected. Catwoman - being more of an anti-hero - will look out for her own interests first, as she just as often works to thwart Batman as work with him. Harley is now in what we in the trans community used to call "the selfish phase" - we are done trying to live up to the expectations of others and are now trying to live for and as ourselves.  
> Now, mayhaps in Book Two with her burgeoning relationship with Danni, Harley may go the Poison Ivy route next Hallowe'en - assuming she can convince Danni to do Harley Quinn again.


End file.
